The cousin is beautiful but ruthless.

Not long after Ji Yuxiu arrived at the border, it seemed that she knew that Chang'an had been defeated and that all the foreign tribes that had been surrounding the border had retreated.

That's a good thing, at least nothing bad happened at the border.

On the other side, Jian Xia comforted Liang Fangrong with a few words, but Liang Fangrong was too upset to relax after such a big change today, and could only go back and grieve in secret.

Liang Fangrong planned to return to Suzhou because of the cenotaph incident.

Shen Hanyu's house was not yet repaired, so she went to Pei Du's residence.

Pei Du hasn't returned for the past few days. He's been busy with various tasks to try and resolve the case in Lizhou as soon as possible.

With Jiang Fengxiao's testimony, they were able to proceed much faster.

A month later, everyone finally learned the buried truth.

Li Sheng was reinstated in the imperial genealogy and was made crown prince by Li Jiangui.

Upon hearing this, the imperial concubine, who was about to be punished, gave a cold smile.

In the end, we still let him come back.

The Imperial Concubine never imagined that Li Jing was hiding something from her—that he was plotting a rebellion. This child, Li Jing, never considered her life or death.

Lai Shun brought in poisoned wine and a white silk ribbon.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has asked you to choose one."

The imperial concubine closed her eyes, picked up the poisoned wine, and drank it without hesitation.

Enough is enough. That unfilial son Li Jing has ruined her life. There's no point in struggling anymore.

Upon seeing that the Imperial Concubine had completely passed away, Lai Shun returned to report.

With the death of the Imperial Concubine, Li Jing's days were numbered. Zhao Wanfu was the first to be executed, followed by Jiang Fengxiao, Li Jing, and others.

Pei Du had some free time and returned to see Shen Hanyu.

"Has everything been discussed regarding the cenotaph?"

Shen Hanyu nodded: "Mother said she was going back to Suzhou to talk to the elders of the Shen family about this matter. I wanted to go with her, but Mother refused."

Liang Fangrong also set up a memorial tablet for Shen Yanzhi in Chang'an. Moreover, Shen Hanyu was going to the girls' school, and her wedding date with Pei Du was about to be set, so there was no need to run back and forth between the two places at this time.

Shen Hanyu investigated the matter for Shen Yanzhi, and no one dared to doubt Shen Hanyu's filial piety.

Seeing Shen Hanyu's hesitation, Pei Du advised her, "If you want to go, then go. I believe you can handle the girls' school. There's no rush for the wedding. Once this matter is settled, I can wait a few more months without any problem."

Pei Du's suggestion was sincere, and after thinking about it, Shen Hanyu decided to go back with Liang Fangrong.

With Li Sheng's matter resolved, everything returned to normal at the border. Pei Du was fine, but he didn't accompany Shen Hanyu; he stayed in Chang'an.

"We will get married when you return from Suzhou."

Pei Du held Shen Hanyu's hand, and Shen Hanyu nodded, responding somewhat shyly.

They had planned to get married after everything was over, so the delay of a few months is not a big deal.

Upon hearing that Pei Du was about to get married, Pei Mingjian had mixed feelings.

He lost his son, and the vast Duke's mansion had no one to inherit it.

Pei Mingjian went to see Pei Du several times, but Pei Du turned him away each time.

Pei Du resented him, and he had already divorced the woman from the Yu family.

Pei Du already holds an official position, and he deserves immense credit for this exoneration. He is currently very influential and can live comfortably without Pei Du's help.

Pei Mingjian gave a bitter smile. He couldn't even attend his own son's wedding.

March later, as winter approached, Shen Hanyu returned.

Pei Du met her at the city gate and handed her a hand warmer.

"Everything has been arranged."

Sitting in the carriage, Liang Fangrong felt happy to see this scene. It was good that Shen Hanyu was doing well.

Shen Hanyu whispered in Pei Du's ear, "Then let's do it a month from now."

Her wedding dress is being made in a rush, and the wedding will be just a month from now.

Pei Du smiled and agreed.

Compared to the harmonious atmosphere here, the Anping Marquis's residence was much more miserable.

So many children were lost, and because they had some connection with Li Jing, Marquis Anping was also implicated.

Now they have only a title, but no real power.

The streets were buzzing with rumors about Shen Hanyu and Pei Du's marriage, and they had heard a little about it.

The old lady wiped away her tears: "If we hadn't let Hanyu leave back then, things wouldn't be like this."

Xu Ying remained silent, feeling that there was no point in saying these words now.

Shen Hanyu had long since lost all ties with them and had harmed so many people, yet she still managed to get married in a grand and glorious manner.

Looking at the other young ladies in the Marquis's mansion, one is dead and another is insane. Liang Ruochu, the only one who is still relatively normal, is now ignored by everyone.

This is a classic case of trying to fill a basket with water but ending up with nothing.

It hadn't snowed yet since winter started, and the weather was sunny that day—a perfect day for a wedding.

Shen Hanyu changed into a fiery red wedding dress. Ji Yuxiu had not yet returned from the border, but she sent many congratulatory gifts.

Wei Ming and Yang Yueying were unharmed. That night, they were protected by Wei Zhengting's men. The streets were too chaotic, so they had to abandon their car and escape.

Wei Ming circled around Shen Hanyu a few times: "She is truly stunning."

Shen Hanyu smiled, and Liang Fangrong, watching from behind, nodded in satisfaction.

She put on her headdress and picked up a round fan to cover her face.

"If only Yuxiu were still in Chang'an, it's such a pity she couldn't come back."

“With something like that happening at the border, it’s not wrong for her to stay there.” Shen Hanyu handed Wei Ming a sugar cube. “Isn’t it about time?”

Wei Ming nodded, and saw a noisy scene outside; Pei Du had come to fetch the bride.

Shen Hanyu stood there, slightly awkwardly holding the round fan.

Pei Du finally entered after a long struggle. The two looked at each other through a round fan. He reached out his hand, and Shen Hanyu placed her hand in his palm.

The rough, large hand gripped Shen Hanyu's hand tightly, and Shen Hanyu immediately felt at ease. She then went out with Pei Du and got into the bridal sedan chair.

General Pei's wedding attracted a large crowd of onlookers.

Jin Chui, accompanied by several servants, scattered copper coins, letting them share in the joy.

With music and fanfare playing all the way, Shen Hanyu officially stepped into Pei Du's residence.

In the months leading up to the wedding, Pei Du expanded the house, arranging it exactly like the previous house of Shen Hanyu.

Jin Chui was familiar with this matter, and after doing a thorough job, he actually did it quite well.

As soon as Shen Hanyu entered, she noticed something was different and smiled.

People from the Yu family came. Old Master Yu was in good spirits, and Shen Hanyu and Pei Du paid their respects to Old Master Yu and Liang Fangrong.

After the wedding ceremony, Shen Hanyu was taken to the bridal chamber, while Pei Du was outside entertaining the guests.

As time went by, Shen Hanyu inevitably became nervous and uneasy.

Miao Cui noticed Shen Hanyu's mood and said a few words to comfort her.

Shen Hanyu put down her fan and ate a few pastries to fill her stomach. As darkness fell, the sounds outside gradually subsided.

With a creak, the door opened, and Pei Du walked in, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“Miaoyi”.

Shen Hanyu got up to help him, and Pei Du put his arm around her shoulder.

"It's alright, I'm not drunk yet. Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring in some food."

"I'm not hungry."

Exhausted from a long day, Shen Hanyu ate a few pieces of pastry but lost her appetite.

Pei Du agreed, and the two drank the nuptial wine. By the light of the candlelight, Pei Du examined Shen Hanyu's face.

The red candles cast a warm glow on the bed, and the two beautiful women smiled at each other.