Wu Caiwei could feel the change in his expression. She could only say that they had no fate. If she hadn't met Yang Hanye first, perhaps there would have been a possibility of him recognizing her as his master in this lifetime. After all, he was the one who ascended to the throne in her previous life, but some things were just unexpected.
Since they wanted to watch the tigers fight from the sidelines, the two princes naturally had to give them something to do. They didn't fight, but the vassal kings guarding the perimeter were like fighting cocks, refusing to yield to each other and fighting fiercely.
It turned out that they had received news that King Jin and King Yang were fighting, so they quickly brought their men to join the fun. Seeing others trying to compete with them, they started fighting without a word.
The battle outside the city raged for three days and three nights. By the time they realized they had been tricked, they couldn't stop. They could only brace themselves and fight to win first.
Prince Ping was the first to break out of the encirclement and arrive at the royal palace. He looked at King Yang and King Jin, who were unharmed, and realized he had fallen into a trap. He stood there quietly with his men, waiting to see if anyone else would be fortunate enough to arrive and change the current three-way standoff.
They waited from noon until sunset, but no new vassal king appeared. Either they had died in battle outside the capital, or they had fled when the situation turned unfavorable. In any case, they managed to keep their lives. As time passed, all the soldiers held their hands on their sword hilts, ready to fight at any moment, for they knew a fierce battle awaited them when night fell.
Things unfolded as they had guessed. Prince Ping, seeing that his forces were the weakest, wanted to catch them off guard. He secretly ordered his men to split into two groups to deal with them. King Yang and King Jin, however, had already prepared themselves and met the attack calmly. Of course, they had no intention of forming an alliance. Although they could quickly eliminate Prince Ping by cooperating, new problems would arise. Ultimately, a battle would still have to be fought between them. To minimize losses, although they hadn't openly fallen out, they had not stopped launching covert attacks.
Yang Hanye saw another hidden weapon fall near his horse's hooves and broke out in a cold sweat. The opponent was truly skilled, sending one hidden weapon after another towards him. If Wu Caiwei hadn't been so quick-witted, he would have been hit. Just as he caught two hidden weapons, the third would arrive. This was clearly a play on timing.
Of course, the experts on their side were not to be outdone. Although King Jin's martial arts were not bad, he couldn't stand the dense hail of hidden weapons aimed at him, making it difficult for him to cope. Furthermore, he didn't have anyone as skilled as Wu Caiwei by his side, and he was quickly hit.
After dealing with King Jin, their next target was Prince Ping. Everyone understood the significance of this battle and put in their utmost effort. Wu Caiwei stood quietly in a corner. Her duty was to protect Yang Hanye. As for other matters, she could not get too involved. She had already flapped many wings as a butterfly and did not want any more unexpected situations to arise because of her.
As she watched, she discovered something else very interesting. Not far away, a young man was observing the situation with a homemade telescope. For some reason, she thought of the Hongying cannons that had appeared at the imperial court and suspected that he might be the inventor. So, she quietly approached the young man. The young man seemed to sense her presence and turned around, seeing a very kind-looking lady. He politely nodded in greeting.
Seeing his refined demeanor, she was moved. She knew that this person might be of the same kind as her. They hadn't heard any gossip about him, which suggested he kept a low profile. She, with her extensive knowledge, could discern his identity, but others might not.
When King Yang achieved a great victory, Wu Caiwei immediately grabbed him and brought him to Yang Hanye. At first, Yang Hanye was puzzled, not understanding why he had brought such an unremarkable young man before him. When Wu Caiwei introduced him as the inventor of the Hongying cannons, Yang Hanye's eyes widened involuntarily. He had never expected that the inventor of such powerful weapons would be a child.
However, he knew Wu Caiwei would not speak without basis, so this matter was likely true. With Wu Caiwei, an exceptionally intelligent and resourceful anomaly, by his side, he felt no suspicion when interacting with the boy. Instead, he thought that at such a young age, to invent such things, what would he be capable of with more experience and time?
The young man had served the court before. When Yang Hanye asked him if he wanted to pledge allegiance to him, the boy refused without hesitation. However, Wu Caiwei believed that with Yang Hanye's persuasive skills, he would surely make the boy sincerely work for him.
The couple understood the wisdom of knowing when to retreat. After King Yang secured his throne, they quickly proposed to return to their hometown. King Yang, who had some reservations about them, immediately urged them to stay. At this moment, he felt guilty for his previous suspicions of them. Having interacted with the couple for so long, he had long realized their indifference to fame and fortune, and that they would not cling to military power.
But this time, the couple was determined. Even Yang Hanye's intervention could not change their minds. Seeing their resolve, the Emperor not only bestowed upon them a large tract of fertile land but also gave them countless gold and jewels, enough for them to live in luxury for a lifetime.
Finally, amidst the reluctance of all, they headed south with Xia He's family. Along the way, the couple was inseparable, stopping and starting, talking and laughing, making Xia He very envious.
Among them all, He Sheng was the most touched. He never imagined that a couple could live their lives in such a way. Reflecting on how he treated his wife and daughters daily, he felt a sense of guilt. In the past, he felt his wife was not worthy of him for giving him only two daughters, and he even had thoughts of taking a concubine. Now, he wished he could slap himself to clear his head.
In this life, the couple traveled together to the ends of the earth. The fields and courtyard at home were managed by He Sheng's family. Perhaps because of their past experiences, he suddenly matured, and his relationship with Xia He improved considerably. They then had two more sons. With sons, he became even more steady and proactive in his work, which greatly pleased Wu Caiwei.
In just twenty years, Chen Renjie died of illness. From then on, Wu Caiwei never left her home. She spent her days locked in her room studying academics. Another twenty years passed, and she personally witnessed He Sheng leave this world. Only then did her burden feel lifted. At least she had fulfilled the original owner's wish: her son lived a life of peace and prosperity, without worries of food or clothing. No one in the surrounding villages was richer than him.
Thus, it was discovered that a month after He Sheng passed away, Wu Caiwei also left this world in her sleep, causing a sensation throughout the entire Celestial Dynasty.