🥀 Ashes of the Loyal
The Emperor had made a promise to Zhiyong—a promise that meant everything. To Zhiyong, his children mattered more than his own life. He smiled, comforted by that vow, before finally collapsing forward as his face hit the ground.
"Ba!" his children cried, rushing to him, desperate to wake him. Yun Yuhua cradled his lifeless body in her arms, tears streaming down her face. She turned and glared at the Emperor, staring sharply with blame. The Emperor met her eyes and saw it—resentment. He understood. But there were matters of duty yet to be addressed.
He turned to Hao Jian with a heavy sigh before speaking.
"Lui Hao Jian. How dare you!" the Emperor thundered. "You murdered not one, but many! For what? Your late father, a respected minister. Your father-in-law—my Minister of Works. And now, your wife?" His voice cracked with fury. "I allowed your marriage to her out of respect for your father. And now you run from your sins like a coward?"
The Emperor's composure slipped. Rage overtook him. The sight of Hao Jian disgusted him—no longer a man but a monster. Hao Jian could barely process the words through his pain. Cheng Yi stood frozen. Father or no father? He had already lost nearly everyone—only his father and uncle remained. Clenching his eyes shut, he stepped between them.
"Your Majesty, please!" Cheng Yi dropped to his knees. "I beg you… if not for justice, then for mercy. I know my father deserves death for the lives he's taken—but he is still my father…"
The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Cheng Yi.
"Do you know who else he hurt?" he asked coldly. "My niece."
The words ignited a fire in the Emperor. Emotion surged violently—years of unanswered questions, loss, betrayal. For the first time, he let it all spill out. Cheng Yi froze. Treason. The murder of a royal descendant. The weight of such a crime could shatter his entire household.
"Y-Your Majesty…" Cheng Yi trembled. The Emperor glared at him, seeing echoes of Hao Jian—until the memory of Tishui's words about Cheng Yi broke through the haze.
"You will choose now," the Emperor said. "You will bear your father's sins—but not through shame, through service. You will restore the order he destroyed. What do you say?"
A bodyguard stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, this is madness! He's the son of a traitor!"
"But not the grandson of one," the Emperor shot back. "This young man has virtues his father never had."
Cheng Yi bowed fully to the ground.
"I… I will accept the position. I will spend my life restoring what my father broke—until the end of my time."
Yun Yuhua couldn't stand the Emperor's coldness. Without hesitation, she seized Zhiyong's sword and pointed it directly at him. The bodyguard reacted instantly, blade drawn and aimed at her.
"How dare you!" the bodyguard shouted.
"You ruthless human!" Yun Yuhua screamed back.
"How dare you raise your sword at a royal descendant?"
The Emperor's voice cracked like thunder. His bodyguard froze mid-strike, blade trembling, then recoiled in disbelief.
"Royal…?" the man echoed, stunned.
Silence fell like a stone. Royal descendant—the weight of those words stunned the room. But not Yun Yuhua. Her rage burned on, undeterred.
"I don't care about royalty!" she shouted sharply and raw. "I care that you kept sending my father away—when our mother needed him most! If you hadn't, maybe she'd still be alive. Maybe he would too. We wouldn't be orphans. We wouldn't be broken."
Her voice cracked, trembling on the edge.
"How can you call yourself a ruler when all you've brought our family is tragedy?"
The Emperor stared at her. And in that blaze of grief and fury, he saw them—Xiu Yan's haunting gaze, Anke's unyielding fire.
"You're just like him," he murmured. "You care deeply… about the people you love."
Yun Yuhua sobbed once—painful, sharp.
"Tell me why," she demanded. "Why did you send our father away?"
His gaze dropped to the pendant around her wrist. His voice softened.
"That pendant…"
She glanced down. "What about it?"
"It was your grandmother's… from Joseon. Your father went there to uncover the truth. We believed someone there may have been responsible for your grandparents' deaths—back when your mother was still a child."
Her face went pale.
"That's why… she taught us Joseon?" Tian Ke said quietly.
"Yes," the Emperor replied. "Because she wanted to understand her mother's past—before fleeing to Ming."
Tian Ke looked to Qian'ai, who mirrored his confusion.
"Fled?" Qian'ai asked. The Emperor nodded solemnly.
"My brother—your grandfather—saved her. They fell in love, and they built a life. But fate wasn't kind."
Yun Yuhua steadied her breath. Her voice lowered, but her eyes stayed locked on his.
"How?"
The Emperor met her gaze. "Your father found letters—written in Joseon script. They hinted that the royal family of Joseon may have been involved in your grandparents' deaths. I… I wanted war. But your father—he wanted peace."
"If Father wanted peace, then we'll choose peace too," Yun Yuhua interrupted, clear and resolute.
The Emperor blinked, caught off guard by her boldness. Then, slowly, a proud smile appeared.
"He raised you well. A warrior, a father, and now… a legacy. He will be honored."
Yun Yuhua wiped her face. Her sword clattered to the floor as she let it go.
"Then let me finish what he started. If the truth is in Joseon, that's where I'll go."
Tian Ke stepped forward, calm and certain. "Give us the letters. And what we need for the journey."
The Emperor looked at the three of them—standing with quiet defiance, just like Anke once did.
"You three…" he said softly, a chuckle escaping. "You really did inherit his stubbornness."
He raised his voice. "Ruqi!"
Ruqi stepped forward without hesitation and knelt. "Here."
"You are to lead these three to Joseon. Protect them with your life. Complete the mission. Report back regularly. No harm must come to them… They are my grandchildren."
Ruqi bowed deeply. "As you command, Your Majesty."
With the command given, Yun Yuhua, Tian Ke, and Qian'ai turned back to their father's lifeless body. There were no cries of despair—only a quiet determination. They buried Zhiyong beside Xian Lian, laying him to rest where eternal love endured—even in death. His sword did not join him. Yun Yuhua took it with her. She would carry it forward, just as he once carried all of them.
From afar, Cheng Yi watched in silence. He didn't step closer. His eyes lingered on Yun Yuhua's silhouette—strong, grief-stricken, radiant.
"Even if I never told you… I always wished you happiness. Seeing you cry like that… it hurt more than I ever imagined. I was foolish to hope I could stay by your side. My presence only led you into danger. I won't be that selfish again. But if fate allows… I'll confess next time."
Cheng Yi turned and walked away, following the Emperor back toward the village. Hao Jian, restrained and untreated, was dragged behind them. No death sentence. Only madness and the eternal weight of his crimes. The Emperor had chosen mercy—or cruelty, depending on how one saw it.
Yun Yuhua looked back once. Her eyes followed Cheng Yi's retreating figure. A quiet breath escaped her lips.
"You'll do well… I hope you find peace in your choices," she whispered.
The road split behind them—one path back to the palace, the other toward the unknown.
Later, after burying their father, Ruqi handed Tian Ke the letters. His hands trembled as he held them, tears slipping down his cheeks.
"If Mother knew… she'd be glad there were answers," he said softly.
Ruqi smiled as her eyes were wet with emotion. "She'd be happy no matter what… as long as it was about the people she loved."
Tian Ke managed a faint smile. "Then let's leave after tonight."
Ruqi placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "His Majesty already arranged an inn in Joseon. We'll be staying there."
"Then to Joseon, we go," Tian Ke said. He turned to find his siblings. Yun Yuhua and Qian'ai were already packing. Readying themselves.
Ruqi stood back and watched them, a quiet smile tugging at her lips. Grieving children—yes. But unbroken. The fire in them burned on.
Fate had struck them cruelly. But they did not fall.
With more clues than ever before, the three children set out on the path to Joseon. Yun Yuhua, resolute, walked beside her brothers—determined to uncover the truth. With Ruqi, a seasoned warrior, at their side, she felt prepared for whatever lay ahead. Whether the truth brought pain or peace, she would face it head-on.
They rose before the sun touched the horizon, the sky still cloaked in pale silence. As Tian Ke led the way forward, Yun Yuhua followed closely behind, her heart steady with purpose.
"Ma… if the answers are in Joseon, I'll find them and bring them back to you. I'll honor the truth at your grave. I'll make sure Ba's sacrifice wasn't in vain. And I'll return with the head of the one who stole your parents from you. I swear it—Ke Gege, Li'ai Gege, and I… we'll come back together. So please, wait for us."