Chapter 107: 終章
[Final Chapter]
Seeing this turn of events, the crowd below momentarily froze, unsure how to react. It wasn’t until Grand Elder Ji ascended the dais—the very platform intended for the formal investiture of the Ji family patriarch—and tremblingly bowed to the First Elder that the crowd suddenly snapped to attention. They realized the patriarch had truly awakened.
“You?” The Grand Elder stared at the clan leader before him, surprise evident in his voice. Yet upon seeing the pallor on his face, he was suddenly at a loss for words.
Elder Ji struggled to lift his head, offering the Grand Elder a faint smile. His voice raspy, he said, “I’ve caused you all trouble these past days.”
The Grand Elder shot Ji a complex look before a wistful sigh flickered in his eyes. He stepped aside, allowing his seat to be vacated, then shakily let his attendant help him down.
Now standing alone, the Elder turned to survey the crowd below. His gaze swept over the faces—some surprised, some puzzled—yet few met his eyes with genuine joy. Weariness filled his own expression. When his eyes briefly lingered on the First Lady, they quickly shifted away.
Once he had steadied himself atop the chair, the Grand Elder Ji spoke slowly, “I failed to make myself clear earlier, causing trouble for everyone in recent days. Today, while I am still lucid, I formally announce to all present: Ji Ling is the sole qualified heir to the Ji family.”
The announcement met with stoic indifference. The moment Young Master Ji appeared, the outcome had been anticipated. Yet some gossips still turned their eyes toward Ji Qiu, standing above with a deeply sour expression, their glances tinged with schadenfreude.
Ji Qiu’s face was twisted with bitterness. What he had considered a sure thing had been overturned in an instant, leaving him seething with resentment. Staring at the Patriarch standing before him, he held back his words, time and again, but ultimately said nothing more. At this point, further speech would only invite ridicule.
After announcing this, the Elder Lord Ji’s body seemed to give way, swaying unsteadily. Ji Ling, standing nearby, swiftly stepped forward to steady him, whispering softly, “Let me help you back to rest.”
The Elder Lord Ji allowed Ji Ling to lead him away, but before departing, he cast a seemingly casual glance toward Lady Ji. That single look sent a chill through Lady Ji’s entire body. Instantly, she understood that the Elder Lord Ji knew everything she had done. In that moment, she seemed to age several years.
Because of the Elder Lord Ji’s appearance, the ceremony, which should have been grand and solemn, ended abruptly. Later, Ji Qiu found some excuse to leave the Ji household and never returned. By then, no one paid it any mind.
The Old Master Ji proposed holding Ji Ling’s naming ceremony as soon as possible to formalize his status, lest unforeseen troubles arise later. Ji Ling merely postponed the chosen date, citing the Old Master’s poor health and his need to avoid exertion.
Upon hearing this, the Patriarch merely gave him a quiet, lingering look before accepting the explanation. After Ji Ling departed, he sat there for a long while, lost in thought.
In the days that followed, the Patriarch remained secluded in his villa to recuperate, yet the Matriarch never once visited him. Upon learning of this, the crowd reacted with mixed expressions, yet ultimately remained silent spectators.
Just as everyone assumed the standoff would persist indefinitely, Lord Ji unexpectedly made the first move by visiting Lady Ji.
By this time, Lord Ji had largely recovered. Upon arriving at Lady Ji’s residence, he stepped down from his sedan chair without assistance, walking steadily inside on his own. Upon entering, he found Lady Ji dressed in her finest, gazing at him. She had clearly known of his impending visit. For a moment, he felt as though he were seeing her as she had been in her youth.
“My lord, you’ve come,” Lady Ji said, her tone as gentle as ever.
Master Ji’s expression was deeply complex at that moment. His eyes were filled with turmoil as he looked at his wife. The two sat facing each other in silence for a long while. Finally, Lady Ji pulled out the seat beside her and invited the person to sit down.
Master Ji looked at his elderly wife, his lips moving several times, yet no sound emerged. Seeing his expression, Lady Ji spoke first, “I imagine you have many questions, Master?”
Master Ji gazed at his wife, now visibly aged, pondering for a long moment before finally nodding.
Unperturbed by his reaction, the First Lady gently smoothed her hair. Her gaze softened, her tone taking on a hint of girlishness as if recalling distant memories. She spoke slowly, “Do you remember when we first met, my lord?”
After a moment’s thought, just as he was about to answer, Lady Ji spoke again, seemingly needing no reply. “I was out strolling with my ladies-in-waiting when I saw you and your friends galloping past on horseback. Dressed in splendid robes, riding fiery steeds—that white-clad youth instantly captured my heart. I thought to myself then, if I could marry such a young man, it would be my greatest wish. Later, I did indeed have my wish granted. But, my lord, why couldn’t you have changed your heart just a little slower, just a little slower, until I could accept that my husband might have other women in his life?”
Madam Ji’s slow, measured tone stirred a twinge of guilt within Lord Ji. Knowing that this calamity had been brought upon him by his own gentle and lovely wife, he had initially felt anger and disbelief. Now, however, a thread of remorse began to stir within him. He moved his lips slightly and murmured softly, “I’m sorry.”
Hearing these words, Lady Ji smiled. A fleeting glimmer of light flashed in the corner of her eye before vanishing into her hair. Gazing at the man before her—a man she had loved and hated for a lifetime—her voice grew faint and distant. “My lord, I can no longer be by your side. May we each find peace.”
The Old Master Ji stared at Lady Ji, her once-beautiful face now faded, lost in thought for a long while. Finally, he nodded.
Master Ji returned to his own villa. Days later, news of the Lady’s sudden passing reached him. Upon hearing it, he stumbled to her residence. There she lay, the woman who had seemed so vibrant just days before, now still and lifeless. For a moment, he could not muster any expression. Step by step, he approached her side, took her hand, and said with heart-wrenching sorrow, “Madam, why were you so foolish? I never blamed you.”
In recent times, misfortunes had befallen the Ji household one after another. Even outsiders murmured whether the Ji family’s feng shui was unfavorable, leading to such a succession of calamities. Regardless of what others thought, the Ji household must continue to function.
The funeral arrangements for Lady Ji were completed with remarkable speed. While it was initially thought that this tragedy would delay Ji Ling’s succession ceremony considerably, unexpectedly, three days later, the Elder Master Ji arrived at the door.
Observing the Elder Master Ji, who appeared far more aged than before, Tang Xiaobao quietly placed the pastries he had made and withdrew. The matters they discussed were not suitable for him to remain present.
The elder’s gaze shifted from the pastries Tang Xiaobao had left to the departing figure. Then, looking at Ji Ling before him, he spoke before the young man could utter a word: “Choose an auspicious day in the coming days to hold the succession ceremony. I believe the Ji family will flourish even more under your stewardship.”
Ji Ling gazed at the elder, whose face now bore the full weight of age after just a few days. Ultimately, he could no longer refuse. Looking at him earnestly, he promised, “I will take good care of the Ji family.”
Seeing Ji Ling’s resolve, the elder nodded with satisfaction before rising to leave. This Ji family, it seemed, was finally ready to pass into another’s hands.
The townspeople soon learned that after all the turmoil, another major event had unfolded at the Ji residence: the family patriarch was being replaced. A special auspicious date had been chosen, and prominent figures were invited as witnesses. Instantly, the entire town buzzed with excitement.
On the day of the ceremony, Ji Ling donned the specially prepared attire early and arrived at the venue accompanied by Tang Xiaobao, who was also dressed in splendid robes.
Step by step, Ji Ling ascended the elevated platform. Surrounded by the gathered crowd, he formally received the seal of authority from the previous head of the Ji family. From that moment onward, the vast Ji household had officially changed hands.
Standing there amidst the congratulatory voices, Ji Ling’s gaze fell directly upon Tang Xiaobao, who had been watching him intently below. A smile touched his lips.
Ji Ling becoming the head of the Ji family was an expected development. What no one anticipated, however, was that his first act upon ascending to the position would be to rearrange a wedding ceremony for his husband. Upon hearing this news, everyone was stunned, convinced it was utterly unnecessary. Regardless of the outside chatter, Ji Ling proceeded to organize the event with meticulous care.
By the day of the ceremony, Tang Xiaobao felt a sense of unreality. Seeing the elaborate preparations Ji Ling had made, he wanted to protest that it wasn’t necessary. Yet, whenever he met Ji Ling’s eyes, sparkling like starlight, the words died on his lips. Deep down, a faint hope stirred within him—the hope of becoming Ji Ling’s husband, legitimately and openly, before all witnesses.
With these feelings, the wedding day finally arrived.
Since Tang Xiaobao had no family left and no maternal home to speak of, Ji Ling had built an extravagant estate in the countryside specifically for his wedding. Early that morning, an excited and flustered Lü He roused Tang Xiaobao, helping him get ready for Ji Ling’s arrival.
Even though he’d been through this once before, whether due to a different state of mind or sheer nerves, Tang Xiaobao felt waves of nausea wash over him. Remembering today was his joyous wedding day, he forced himself to suppress it.
Lühe bustled back and forth, too preoccupied to notice Tang Xiaobao’s unusual state until the wedding sedan chair drew near. He then helped Tang Xiaobao prepare to board. But after just two steps, Tang Xiaobao retched, startling Lühe into jumping up.
“Young Madam, what’s wrong?”
Tang Xiaobao fought to suppress his discomfort. Listening to the growing commotion outside the door, he reassured Lühe, “It’s nothing. I probably just woke up too early and feel a bit uneasy.”
Though slightly concerned, Lü He couldn’t delay the wedding procession arriving at the door. Seeing Tang Xiaobao recover after a couple of retches, he dismissed it as nothing serious. With the servants’ assistance, he helped Tang Xiaobao into the wedding palanquin.
As Tang Xiaobao was a young man, he wore no veil. The palanquin swayed steadily as it entered the city, followed by an endless stream of dowry items—a procession so vast it could be called a ten-mile trail of red. Amidst the surrounding clamor, they finally arrived at the Ji residence.
Guided by the wedding matron’s voice, Tang Xiaobao stepped down from the palanquin. Lifting his gaze, he saw Ji Ling, dressed in bright red wedding robes, smiling warmly at him. As he offered his hand, it was instantly grasped. Ji Ling took his hand, and together they walked step by step into the hall.
Before the Ji family members and the assembled wedding guests, the couple solemnly exchanged their lifelong vows.
“First bow to Heaven and Earth.” Tang Xiaobao recalled his own bewilderment upon first arriving.
“Second bow to our parents.” He seemed to see all the trials they had endured together.
“Couple’s mutual bow.” Tang Xiaobao lifted his eyes to meet the handsome brows and eyes before him, filled with an unwavering tenderness.
Author’s Note:
My dears, thank you so much for accompanying me this far. This book has finally come to an end.
I don’t have much else to say, but there’ll be an extra chapter about the Baozi later tonight.
Since I’m broke, I’ll just give out ten completed red envelopes—first come, first served.
Thank you all for your unwavering support. Love you all, mwah!
