Female Consort Chapter 91: Tomorrow

Yu Yan reacted swiftly and immediately took men to pursue alongside Wu Yiqi.

Li Qingwu frowned. “The palace, inside and out, is under our control... how did he still dare to run?”

“Don’t worry. He won’t get away.” Amid the surrounding chaos, Qiu Che remained calm and composed. She lightly patted Li Qingwu’s hand. “He should know he can’t escape either.”

“Then why did he still try...?”

“A final, desperate struggle,” Qiu Che said after a pause. “Or maybe... he simply didn’t want to die by our hands?”

Sure enough, not long after, Yu Yan returned. “Master.”

“Where is he?”

Yu Yan hesitated. “We thought he was trying to escape, but he... he jumped straight into the Jinming Pond in the imperial garden.”

Qiu Che raised an eyebrow.

Yu Yan continued, “We’ve already had him fished out. He’s unconscious but still alive. Master, how should we handle him?”

So, he really tried to kill himself.

Perhaps he found his defeat too disgraceful, and didn’t want to suffer any further torment at their hands.

But with all the harm he had done, how could he be allowed such an easy death?

At Yu Yan’s report, the previously silent Cui Wenshen finally let out a breath of relief.

Qiu Che turned her gaze toward the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager gave a faint smile. “I’ve long been idle and wouldn’t know what counts as fair punishment. I’ll leave today’s matters entirely in your hands, Lord Qiu.”

Qiu Che bowed. “Your Majesty, you should now refer to yourself as ‘I, the Emperor.’”

Not far away, Ayue gasped. “Master. Your Majesty. He took poison, he’s dead.”

It was that staff officer, Yu Zheng.

The Crown Prince, on the other hand, was still raving like a madman nearby, shouting about how he had done nothing wrong and demanding to know why he, the rightful heir, could not ascend the throne.

Fed up, Yu Yan walked over and knocked him out with one punch before he was dragged away.

A group of officials stood awkwardly where they were, unsure whether to stay or quietly leave.

It was Prime Minister Wu who, having just been betrayed by someone Li Hengyu planted at his side, stepped forward with a pale face. He looked at Qiu Che with a complicated expression. “How did you uncover my connection with the Third Prince?”

They had been extremely discreet.

Qiu Che glanced in Wu Yiqi’s direction.

The Prime Minister understood.

He let out a bitter laugh, removed his official hat, and said, “I conspired with traitors and committed many sins. I confess I am beyond redemption and am willing to go to prison and be punished according to the law.”

“All I ask is that my family be spared.”

He stood hunched and desolate, his figure weighed down with guilt.

But Qiu Che replied lightly, “No need to plead. Wu Yiqi will be just fine.”

The Prime Minister said softly, “Yes... yes. He’s grown up.”

He was no longer that boy who always trailed obediently behind him.

Soon after, the Prime Minister and those who had tried to assassinate Qiu Che were all taken to the imperial prison.

Qiu Che walked over to Wu Yiqi, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “I’m not known for my mercy. If you have anything left to say to him, say it now.”

Wu Yiqi was silent for a moment.

He asked, “When your father and brother were imprisoned... what were you thinking?”

Qiu Che replied, “Do you want the truth or a comforting lie?”

“...What else but the truth?”

“Well, the lie sounds nicer.” Qiu Che smiled faintly. “The truth is, I didn’t feel anything at the time.”

“But I knew I no longer had a family.”

Li Qingwu pinched her arm. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

She said, “Aren’t Mother and I your family?”

Yu Yan ran over and raised her hand too. “If Master is willing, I can be your family! So can my sister!”

Wu Yiqi looked at the three of them chatting and laughing together and gave a faint smile, but said nothing more. He turned to dispatch the Embroidered Guards.

From beginning to end, no matter how many times the Prime Minister looked toward Wu Yiqi, the latter never looked back once.

That night, many in the capital did not sleep.

With the late Emperor’s passing and no sons left behind, and with no eligible children in the royal clan, it was almost inevitable that the Eldest Princess would take the throne.

But the Princess refused.

Thus, the Empress Dowager became the people’s choice.

The Crown Prince, the Third Prince, the Prime Minister, and all the Embroidered Guards, City Patrol, and ministers who had participated in the coup were thrown into prison overnight.

Wu Rusheng, who earned some redemption by reporting the Third Prince’s treason, was stripped of his title and sentenced to lifelong imprisonment.

The commoner Li Hengmao, guilty of treason and patricide, was sentenced to execution in the autumn.

Li Hengyu, bearing countless crimes, was sentenced to execution by dismemberment.

As soon as the imperial decree was issued, Cui Wenshen came to find Qiu Che. It was the Lantern Festival. Qiu Che and Li Qingwu were out walking by the Nanyang River, carrying a flower lantern they had made that morning.

It was the place where they had first met.

Cui Wenshen asked, “You promised to spare his life.”

Qiu Che calmly brushed off his hand from her collar before Yu Yan could intervene. “Lord Cui, when I made that promise, I didn’t know he had committed treason.”

“So many people die every year along the southern border... and he still dared to collaborate with Southern Yi and hand over the empire. If dismemberment isn’t enough to appease the people, what will be?”

“Why don’t you go beg Her Majesty the Empress Dowager? Oh, no, wait. It’s ‘Her Majesty the Empress’ now.”

Cui Wenshen was silent for a long time before he said, “I’ll trade my life for his.”

“Oh?” Qiu Che chuckled. “And the lives of those he got killed, who’s going to trade for them?”

Cui Wenshen had lost all his martial arts and no longer posed a threat.

Seeing him fall silent again, Li Qingwu tugged on Qiu Che’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”

Qiu Che whispered, “Just one more thing.”

Then she turned back to Cui Wenshen. “When your savior risked her life to save you, when the woman you loved begged you for protection... did you ever imagine that one day, you’d plead for a monster’s life and aid a tyrant?”

“I think... if they were still alive, they’d be very disappointed in you.”

Even after the two of them had walked far away, Cui Wenshen stood frozen, unable to come back to himself.

After a long pause, he cast a deep glance in the direction they had gone and then disappeared into the darkness.

“What are you thinking about?”

Li Qingwu snapped out of it. “I was wondering... is Li Hengyu really Lord Cui’s son?”

“He’s not a lord anymore,” Qiu Che corrected. Cui Wenshen had been stripped of his title and position, he was a commoner now.

That was because, in the end, he hadn’t actually harmed any innocents.

“So, is he?” Li Qingwu asked.

Qiu Che shook her head. Then nodded.

“What does that mean?”

“It means, I don’t know.”

Qiu Che pinched her cheek, then kissed her lips. “And even if we did know, it wouldn’t matter. We’re out here enjoying the festival, why are you still thinking about other people? Have fun tonight. We’ve got plenty of work ahead of us.”

When Li Hengyu was taken to the execution ground, neither Qiu Che nor Li Qingwu went.

But afterward, it was said that a man with the surname Cui had become a vagabond in the capital, sheltering homeless children from bullies and thugs.

Maybe it was to atone for someone’s sins, or to make up for some regrets.

But none of that mattered anymore.

In the 20th year of Zhenfeng, Emperor Jingxuan passed away. The Empress took the throne and renamed the era to Shengyuan.

Wu Yiqi volunteered to be stationed at the southern border, guarding against Southern Yi.

Yu Yan chose to remain in the capital. Along with several women from the army, she joined the Embroidered Guards and eventually became the new commander.

On Jingzhe Day after the Lantern Festival, the revised legal code was reissued. The most talked-about clause: Same-gender couples in Great Xia, regardless of gender, may legally marry as long as both parties consent.

For her contributions to the new law, Qiu Che was promoted to Prime Minister, First Rank.

At the end of the month, the Princess's Residence hosted a wedding that shocked the entire nation.

A ten-mile red bridal procession. Two brides.

They were the first officially recognized same-gender married couple in history.

In March, the first “Women’s Academy” was officially established, a national-level institution alongside the Imperial Academy.

It included martial arts instruction, becoming the first girls' school in history, and the first academy to offer a broad range of disciplines.

That same year, the Empress appointed an heir. Princess Pingyi was named Crown Princess.

In the fifth year of Shengyuan, in the month of January, the female Prime Minister Qiu Che resigned from office and bid farewell to the court. Yang Qiu succeeded her as Prime Minister.

“And then?”

Someone slapped the table in frustration. “Go on! Why’d you stop?!”

“Yeah, what happened next?!”

“What next, ”

The storyteller on stage deliberately drew out his words, teasing the eager crowd. With a sharp snap of his folding fan, he declared, “To know what happens next, tune in next time!”

“Tch, ”

“That wasn’t even that exciting,” someone muttered while munching on sunflower seeds, clearly unsatisfied amid the noisy crowd.

The storyteller looked more closely. The speaker was a woman in a bright red robe, her long ponytail tied high, her features striking and full of life.

Such attire wasn’t uncommon among womenfolk these days.

The storyteller huffed and puffed, his mustache bristling. “Oh? Then tell me, miss, what exactly wasn’t exciting enough? Was it Prime Minister Qiu capturing the rebel trying to usurp the throne, or the Empress assuming power in a time of crisis?”

“Neither,” the woman said with a grin. “The gossip wasn’t juicy enough.”

“I bought a rare copy of a romance novel about Prime Minister Qiu and Princess Lehe, now that was spicy. The prose! The descriptions! Simply steamy and unforgettable.”

The room fell silent.

The storyteller perked up. “How steamy? Please, do share.”

But before the woman could answer with her usual amused expression, someone called from outside the door.

“Aning.”

A young woman in pale yellow stood under the eaves, holding an umbrella. The light rain only made her delicate beauty more striking.

The woman inside turned at the sound, her smile deepening. “Finally!” she said and stood up to leave.

Only to be tugged back by a little girl nearby.

“Wait, big sis! Finish the story first!”

“Yeah! What was in that spicy novel?!”

Still smiling, the woman shook her head. “Now now, it’s called a final manuscript for a reason, only I get to enjoy it. If you want it so badly, go hunt it down yourselves.”

“What are you chatting about now?” asked the newcomer under the umbrella.

“Nothing! You’re accusing me wrongly,” Qiu Che said sweetly, ducking under the umbrella and nuzzling up to her. “They were the ones begging to hear it. I didn’t say a word! I was just waiting for you because I got bored.”

Li Qingwu shot her a sideways glance. “I told you to bring an umbrella. I left all my work at the tavern just to come pick you up. Madam Qiu must think herself quite important.”

Qiu Che, making sure no one else could see, dipped her head and stole a quick kiss. “I just missed you... Please don’t be mad, my dear wife. I was wrong.”

Li Qingwu touched her cheek, cheeks flushing. “We’re still outside, you know.”

“Oh,” Qiu Che blinked. “So it’s okay once we get home?”

Li Qingwu: “…”

Blushing, she mumbled, “It’s easy for you to relax after quitting court. I still have a business to run.”

Qiu Che replied, “A break now and then isn’t bad. Isn’t that why we make money? To live comfortably and enjoy our later years?”

“I’m not going to argue with your twisted logic.”

Qiu Che chuckled, but before she could speak again, a group of children dashed through the puddles, laughing and shouting, “Hello, Teacher Qiu! Hello, Madam Li!”

“Hi there, slow down!” Li Qingwu called out, but the children had already vanished.

A traveler sipping tea nearby glanced at the two women, watching their matching steps and effortless harmony. “Hey, shopkeeper,” he asked, “those two ladies, are they locals?”

“Nope,” the shopkeeper answered with a smile, her dialect soft and lilting. “They just moved here not long ago. Pretty, aren’t they? They run a business, make a killing every month.”

“You’ve heard of the Women’s Academy, right? The taller one teaches there.”

“What does she teach?”

“Hmm… woodworking, I think? Not sure. But she’s a top-notch lady either way.”

“Are they sisters? Married?”

Someone nearby chuckled and chimed in, “You’re dreaming. Just like the former Prime Minister and her wife, those two are married. Very much in love.”

The traveler blinked, momentarily stunned.

Then quickly said, “That’s lovely. Truly.”

Qiu Che, trained in martial arts, had sharp senses.

Hearing the voices carried on the breeze, she turned to look at the woman beside her and smiled softly.

The road ahead was long, but no matter the wind or rain, there was someone who’d always come to bring her home.

How fortunate.

Li Qingwu watched the spring blossoms swaying by the roadside. After a moment of quiet, she suddenly said, “Let’s go visit Yao Tai tomorrow.”

“Mm.”

“Bring that new dress I sewed for her at the start of the year.”

“Okay.”

“Then sometime after, we can go to Taoyuan Village. Visit the kids. And Uncle Jiang.”

“Sure.”

“…Why do you just say yes to everything?”

Qiu Che wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a smile. “Because everything is just right.”

Two lifetimes. Past grudges, long settled.

People came and went, each finding their place.

But as long as she was with Li Qingwu, nothing else mattered.

Everything was just right.

“Do you believe it’ll be sunny tomorrow, after this rain?”

Li Qingwu was used to her jumping topics without warning. “…Don’t tell me, you picked up fortune-telling again?”

“Aha, you caught me! The carpenter next door taught me. Pretty fun. Want to learn too?”

“So do you believe it?”

“…We’ll see tomorrow.”

After all, they had many tomorrows ahead of them.

Until one day, like Qiu Che once dreamed, 

They would grow old together.

[The End]

Next up, I’ll be writing some extra stories. Any requests, my dears?

Poll for bonus content:

1. Extra chapter about Yao Tai
   
   

2. Modern AU: Qiu Che and Qingwu
   
   

3. Qiu Che time-travels to Qingwu’s childhood
   …More to come!
   
   

Also, sneak peek at my next fluffy, hilarious, healing GL novel: “But She’s Super Strong!”

Summary:

Poor family. Quiet and reserved.

That’s what everyone has always thought of Gu Yu.

To teachers, she’s the perfect student. To classmates, the obedient good girl. Average looks, average build. Just… ordinary. That’s her whole life.

No one knows the truth.

At night, this seemingly plain girl peels off her disguise, reveals her stunning beauty, and becomes a blade-wielding demon on secret missions for the Bureau of Special Abilities.

She leaves no survivors. And at just her age, she’s already the second-in-command of the national bureau.

They call her the White Reaper.

Everything changes during one mission, when she accidentally saves the school’s brash, spoiled heiress, and gives her a hand.

From that day on, she can’t shake her.

The heiress seems to have a sixth sense, always finding her in a crowd, no matter what face she wears, and running toward her with stars in her eyes.

The mask is for the world. You’re the exception.

Reliable, secret badass x Delinquent rich girl with a crush

📝 Notes:
① Quirky healing romance. May include hot-blooded moments and over-the-top drama (lol).
② HE. Pairing: Heiress x Overpowered Disaster Lesbian.
③ Just having fun writing. Read for joy!