Isolated town in northern border region

Just as Xiao Lie opened his mouth to plead for Tie Gong, there was a "pfft" sound behind him!

Looking back, Tie Gong saw that he had plunged the broken sword into his own heart.

When he fell, Luo Daniu rushed onto the stage and caught him.

Tie Gong's lips moved slightly as he forced himself to stand up straight.

"Life paid for!"

Xiao Lie turned his head away reluctantly and remained silent for a long while before speaking.

"Fellow villagers, Tie Gong confesses his crimes and accepts execution!"

With red eyes, Luo Daniu stepped off the stage, clutching his iron bow.

"Next up is the ringleader, Mo Shu!"

The audience erupted in cheers.

"Kill him!"

"Tear him to pieces!"

Xiao Lie turned to Xu De.

"Wake him up!"

"You think you can get away with this so easily? Dream on!"

Xu De didn't ask any more questions. He opened the medicine box, took out silver needles and a bottle of medicine, walked to the wooden cage, inserted the silver needles into three acupoints on Mo Shu's head, and poured the medicine into her throat.

A moment later, Mo Shu's pupils refocused, and his unfocused gaze gradually gathered. He saw the people below the stage, then looked down at his own mutilated body. First, he was bewildered, then fearful, and finally, he became a completely broken and frenzied madness.

He started screaming, the screams getting louder and louder, as if he was using his last bit of strength to throw out everything he could still remember.

"You lowly people! What right do you have! I am learned in all schools of thought! I can turn the world upside down with a flick of my wrist! What do you know! What do you know!"

Xiao Lie waved his hand, and Luo Daniu closed the wooden cage.

"This man, I have severed all four of his limbs!"

"From this day forward, on this very spot, let us atone for the sins of the people who perished!"

As Xiao Lie stepped off the stage, an elderly woman with white hair walked out from the crowd and knelt in front of him.

"Your Highness, I kowtow to you."

"Those people who died in the disaster can finally close their eyes in peace."

Xiao Lie bent down and helped her up.

"Old man, those who should have closed their eyes have already closed them."

You should live a good life.

The old lady stood up and held his hand tightly, refusing to let go.

Xiao Lie let her pull him along, and after a while he gently pulled his hand away, mounted his horse, and headed north.

The debts in Qingzhou have been cleared, and the wedding is next.

The wedding is scheduled for two weeks from now.

The day the news spread throughout the eight states, the official roads of the northern frontier were crowded with people. Some drove oxcarts from Qingzhou, some carried dry rations from Yongzhou, some rode horses from the depths of the grasslands, and some traveled for seven days and seven nights just to send a blessing to Xiao Lie.

The city walls of Youzhou were wrapped in red silk three times, and a row of newly made glass lanterns hung on the city gate tower, each lantern engraved with the four characters "May you have a happy marriage for a hundred years".

This was specially made by Xiao Lie for Jiang Min.

On the wedding day, the wedding procession started from the Youzhou government office and circled the city.

The entire city's residents, dressed in their newest and best clothes, crowded on both sides of the street. Some held lanterns they had made themselves, while others held their children's hands and stood on tiptoe to look out onto the street.

An old man stood by the roadside playing an erhu. The tune was off, but he played with great enthusiasm. People around him laughed at him, but he didn't stop, saying, "It's the prince's wedding, so I have to play it louder."

The convoy of gifts stretched for miles, carrying glassware, brocade, and boxes of grassland furs—everything produced in northern Xinjiang.

The true ten-mile-long red bridal procession covered the main street of Youzhou City, like a red river flowing from the city gate to the government office.

Xiao Lie rode his snow-covered horse at the head of the procession, wearing a brand-new dark brocade robe with a bright red silk flower tied around his chest. He bowed to the people on both sides as he walked.

Some shouted "May Your Highness enjoy ten thousand years of blessings," while others shouted "May Your Highness live a thousand years!" A child was lifted above his father's head, holding a strip of cloth with the words "Your Highness" crookedly written on it, which he waved vigorously at Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie saw it and cupped his hands in greeting to the child.

The child paused for a moment, then excitedly jumped on his father's head.

"Father! The Prince has seen me!"

"The prince even bowed to me!"

A wedding table was set up in the main hall of the government office, with red candles burning brightly and incense smoke curling upwards.

Jiang Min walked out from the back hall in a bright red wedding dress, the beaded curtain on her headdress hanging down to her eyebrows. She walked very slowly, each step as if she were measuring a long journey from Jing Kingdom to the Northern Frontier.

Xiao Lie stood in the hall waiting for her. He didn't urge her or go up to greet her. He just stood there watching her walk over step by step, his gaze never leaving her.

Jiang Min walked up to him and stood still, speaking softly through the beaded curtain.

"You look quite good in this outfit."

Xiao Lie looked down at her.

You look great today.

The guests behind them started to make a fuss. Luo Daniu had the loudest voice and shouted "Give me a kiss!" Shen Chongyuan slapped him on the back of the head, but he still muttered defiantly, "It's their wedding night, what's wrong with shouting?"

Zhou Xun rolled his eyes at him.

"You call that just shouting? Your voice is louder than a war drum!"

"Shut up!"

The banquet was set up from the main hall to the long street outside the government office, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Every table was full of people, including Zhou Xun, Qian Wanli, Xiao Xiong, Shen Chongyuan, Chen Hu, Luo Daniu, Xu De, Le Duo, Tie Muyun—even Tu Ge was there.

He sat in the corner, a jar of strong liquor from the northern frontier in front of him, and a curved knife beside him, its scabbard inlaid with the silver patterns unique to the grasslands.

He raised his glass towards Xiao Lie without saying anything. Xiao Lie saw this and raised his glass back in return.

After a few rounds of drinks, Xiao Xiong stood up and said something.

"The best thing I've ever done in my life was bringing the Canglang Riders to Your Highness at the foot of Cangwu City."

Luo Daniu chimed in.

"The best thing I've ever done is to follow the prince from the elite Trapped Camp all the way to where we are now."

Zhou Xun glanced at Xiao Lie while holding his wine glass and said only two words.

"worth."

Qian Wanli didn't say anything, but simply raised his wine glass above his head in a toast towards Xiao Lie and Jiang Min, and then drank it all in one gulp.

Jiang Min was forced to drink several cups of strong liquor from the northern frontier, and her cheeks turned slightly red.

She sat down next to Xiao Lie and secretly squeezed his hand through his wide sleeve.

Xiao Lie turned his head to look at her. She was watching Zhou Xun and Luo Daniu play drinking games, her lips curved into a smile, as if she had finally completed a very long journey.

Xiao Lie did not pull his hand away. He felt that her fingers were a little cold, so he gently squeezed them.

The night grew deeper.

The lanterns on the long street were still lit. Some people were clearing away dishes, some were dozing against the wall, and some were still playing the off-key erhu.

Xiao Lie stood at the entrance of the government office and saw off the last table of guests. The night breeze blew in his face, carrying the unique dryness of the northern frontier and the scent of the distant fields.

He turned around and saw Jiang Min standing on the steps of the main hall waiting for him.

She had removed her heavy headdress at some point, her hair loosely tied behind her head, and was waving at him.

As Xiao Lie walked over, the door behind him was gently closed by the wind, leaving the streetlights and noise outside.

Inside the door was a room lit by red candles. The candlelight flickered, like a blinking amber eye, merging the shadows of the two people together.

"My lord, please have mercy on me..."

"Pity? I am a military general; I will take the Queen and gallop away!"