WBSGVS Chapter 213 V1

Chapter 213 (Final)

A few months after Sima Qinghe passed away, Fu Cheng took his own life.

Living in a foreign land as a political consort, his life was worse than death. On top of that, the person he loved was gone. With no hope of ever returning home and no future to look forward to, he chose suicide.

Now, the original host’s revenge was nearly complete.

Just as they had treated the original host, Qingli used only a few words to arrange their fates one by one. Apart from Sima Chang, she didn’t kill any of them, but none of them survived.

Now, only one remained—the ruler of Chu.

But that one would take time.

Because war was a costly endeavor.

Qingli continued to diligently serve as the imperial advisor. Over the next decade and more, she played a decisive role in shaping Jin’s national policies.

In those ten years, she successfully raised the living standards of the people and subtly improved the status of women across Jin. As the policies she implemented took root, the future began to look even brighter.

And ten years was enough time for the Jin dynasty to fully regain its strength.

In the past, it was always other nations who initiated conflict. This time, it was Jin who launched the offensive.

Qingli proposed herself, declaring, “I’ve read the omens. Jin has reached the height of its power, while the ruler of Chu is old and fading. If we go to war, we will win!”

Just a few dozen words spoken in court, but even the ministers who typically opposed war responded without hesitation: “This minister agrees—we should fight!”

It wasn’t superstition. Over the past decade, Qingli had proven herself again and again.

And who wouldn’t want their country to unify the land? To stop being bullied by other nations?

After all, the people who lived along the borders were constantly harassed and lived in fear.

With full support from the court, Qingli began her preparations.

This time, she took command as marshal. General Lu Pingyuan led the army, and the vanguard officers were all young men Qingli had personally trained.

On the day they departed for war, the people came out on their own to see them off.

Two months later, the army reached the border. After resting for half a month, they officially issued a declaration of war.

The campaign lasted a year and a half. Qingli deliberately kept a slower pace to reduce casualties. Chu, already weakened and afraid of Qingli’s power, fought defensively and could not gain any ground. Step by step, they retreated.

Eventually, Qingli stormed the royal palace of Chu and captured its dying emperor. Only then was the war truly over.

The state of Chu was fully annexed into the territory of Jin!

From that moment on, Imperial Advisor Sima Qingli became a living legend in the hearts of the people of Jin.

The day Jin officially annexed Chu, the entire nation celebrated.

The lantern shop was booming with business. It was bound to be a sleepless night. The shop owner was a woman in her thirties, plainly dressed yet graceful. Facing a long line of customers, she laughed heartily and said, “No need to rush, there’s enough for everyone! To celebrate the advisor’s great victory, everything here is half-price today—one lantern per person!”

“You’re so generous, boss!” The customers were thrilled and handed over their money without hesitation.

The shopkeeper continued collecting money as she spoke naturally, “What’s generosity got to do with it? It’s all thanks to the advisor’s brilliance! This is her joyous occasion—and our nation’s too. Of course, we have to celebrate!”

“We must!” another vendor chimed in. “I run the pastry shop next door. Here, take these.” The pastry shop owner brought over two pastries, his wrinkled face breaking into a grin. “The advisor is incredible. With such a great victory, I need to say more prayers for her. They say war shortens your life—I hope she lives a hundred years!”

“Pfft!” The candied fruit seller nearby quickly spat, “What do you mean a hundred? The advisor should live for thousands of years!”

“Hahaha, you’re right!”

That day, nearly every shop voluntarily lowered prices or gave things away for free, just to share in the joy with others.

An hour later, the lantern shop was sold out. The shopkeeper sat in the corner, smiling, as her daughter came over to massage her shoulders.

“You’re such a sweet girl, Tiantian,” she said, beaming.

The little girl tried even harder, but couldn’t help asking, “Mom, what does the advisor’s victory have to do with us? Why are you selling the lanterns you worked so hard to make at a discount?”

The shop wasn’t large. Even with hired help, the mother still did most of the work. In the little girl’s memory, her mom had always been working, doing everything she could to support them.

She felt sorry for her mother, especially seeing the goods sold for so little.

They’d lost money today. That meant her mom would have to work even harder in the days to come.

The woman gently patted her daughter’s head and said warmly, “Because without the advisor, there would be no me… and no Tiantian either. So anything about the advisor is about us, too. Understand?”

Tiantian nodded obediently, though she still looked confused.

So the shopkeeper sat her down and began telling her story seriously.

Over ten years ago, she was just a young girl herself. Life was tough under a foolish emperor, but since they lived near the capital, it was still bearable.

Then one day, the princess—now the imperial advisor—issued a military edict telling everyone to relocate because a once-in-decades flood was coming that would overflow the moat.

At the time, she didn’t believe it at all. She cried bitterly when the army forced them to move.

She’d had to leave her home behind.

Even her parents had sighed and muttered complaints.

But there was no use arguing with officials, so they gave in.

Who would’ve thought that just a few days after moving, torrential rain came, and it lasted almost a full month. The riverbanks flooded completely.

If the princess hadn’t risked her life to force them to relocate, they all would’ve died.

Natural Disaster’s Horror Lies in Its Unstoppable Force.