The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

Once Fang Ting and the others returned home, they summoned Ji Yuying.

"Greetings, Granduncle. Greetings, three clan brothers."

The fall of her family had left Ji Yuying's eyes red and swollen from days of weeping. Her once-bright gaze had dulled, and she now lived in constant torment.

Though Su Xinyan had been by her side all this time, offering comfort, it was to no avail—such wounds ran too deep for mere words to heal.

Seeing her current state, everyone sighed inwardly.

Fang Ting said,

"The one who destroyed the Great Xia royal clan was the Qiu Long King of the Northern Region. The Qiu Long Clan has already been annihilated by me."

At these words, the dim light in Ji Yuying's bloodshot eyes flickered anew. Her expression shifted with emotion, and she broke into tears once more.

"Thank you, Granduncle, for avenging my Ji Clan. I will never forget your kindness."

Fang Ting gently raised his hand. A soft energy stopped her from kneeling.

Ji Yuying looked up at the sky and murmured,

"Father... Mother... Brother... Sister... Our family has been avenged. May your souls find peace in the heavens."

Standing nearby, Su Xinyan said,

"There's still one more problem."

Fang Ting turned toward her.

"What is it?"

Su Xinyan replied,

"While you were away, the Great Xia was leaderless and fell into chaos. Several powerful factions within the dynasty took advantage of the situation—some even attempting to establish new nations, others trying to seize the palace and rule in the name of the Xia royal house."

With the royal family gone, the imperial authority that once kept everything in order vanished. The Great Xia dynasty quickly descended into disorder. Crime and instability were everywhere.

And in this environment, it was the common people who suffered the most.

Fang Ting's brow furrowed. This felt all too familiar.

When the Great Zhou royal clan was destroyed and the palace vanished, the same thing had happened. The power vacuum led to various factions carving up the territory, which eventually gave rise to the current Eight Ancient Kingdoms.

Now, the Great Xia faced the same fate. With only Ji Yuying remaining, the internal powers were beginning to follow the same path.

Fang Ting turned to Ji Yuying.

"I can help you ascend the throne and become Empress of Xia. What do you think?"

Back when the Fang clan helped Song Yushu become Queen of Great Qian in the Three Kingdom region, they were able to turn someone with no backing into a ruler.

Now in Cangzhou, they could do the same for Ji Yuying.

Ji Yuying paused in thought, then shook her head.

"I appreciate the offer, Granduncle. But I know my strength is lacking—and I lack the leadership and skill needed to rule an empire. Even if I take the throne, I'll bring more problems and suffering to the people."

Fang Chen sighed regretfully.

"So we're just going to let the Great Xia fragment and follow in Great Zhou's footsteps?"

Ji Yuying said,

"I have another idea. Since the Great Qian and Great Xia were always allies—and now that you've avenged our family—rather than let wolves carve up Xia, I'd rather offer the Great Xia to the Great Qian."

"This way, we can restore peace to the people and minimize bloodshed and loss."

Ji Yuying understood she wasn't fit to be Empress, but she couldn't bear to watch her ancestors' dynasty crumble into ruin. Only by integrating Xia into Qian could her homeland continue—in a new form, but preserved nonetheless. The chaos could be ended quickly, and the people spared further hardship.

Her words made everyone's eyes light up.

They all nodded silently in approval.

It was, indeed, a brilliant solution—one that stabilized Xia, strengthened Qian, and spared the people. A triple victory.

Fang Ting asked,

"Have you made your decision?"

"Yes. If my parents knew, I believe they'd support it too," Ji Yuying answered with conviction.

In the current circumstances, there was no better option.

Fortunately, the Fang Clan had the strength to make it happen. Without them, Ji Yuying would've had no choice but to watch the Great Xia collapse.

Fang Ting said,

"Very well. Fang Luo, you three take the Hidden Dragon Guards and head to the Xia territories. Bring order and stability."

The major factions of Xia all had Great Saint-realm powerhouses—comparable to the Eight Ancient Kingdoms. But Fang Luo and his companions, backed by the Hidden Dragon Guards, were more than enough to subdue them.

Their mission was clear:

Submitters would be spared.

Resisters—especially those with obvious treasonous intent—would be wiped out.

Fang Luo, Fang Chen, and Fang Qiuefeng nodded and departed.

Even Fang Kong, the Crown Prince of Great Qian, joined them. Since Xia was to be absorbed into Qian, he would eventually govern it. Meeting the local powers—his future subjects—was appropriate.

Fang Luo, Fang Chen, Fang Qiuefeng, and Fang Kong each rode a Redback Dragon Beast.

These dragon beasts would become a symbol of the Great Qian in the future. Wherever the Redback Dragon Beasts went, they represented the empire.

Behind them, the Hidden Dragon Guards stood atop Azure Thunder Roc mounts, with Ji Yuying among them.

When they arrived at the Great Xia imperial capital, a declaration quickly spread through the realm:

"Princess Ji Yuying, the last royal of Great Xia, acknowledges her inability to govern. She willingly offers the dynasty to the Great Qian Empire. All loyal citizens are urged to peacefully accept Great Qian's leadership and arrangements."

"Factions that took advantage of the chaos or plotted rebellion shall be punished by Great Qian."

The announcement shook the already chaotic Great Xia.

"What?! The princess is still alive?! That means there's still hope for Great Xia!!"

"But she's the only one left—can she support the whole realm?"

"No, this is good. At least it will bring peace."

"Yes! Merge Xia into Qian! Right now it's chaos out there—rioting, looting... we don't even dare step outside!"

"Total support! The Fang Clan is with Great Qian. They're the strongest, safest force in all of Cangzhou. If Xia joins Qian, we'll be safer too!"

Nearly all common folk supported the move.

They were exhausted from the chaos and yearned desperately for peace.

But the major powers within Great Xia turned ashen upon hearing the news.

They had been dreaming of carving out their own domains—replicating what happened after Great Zhou's collapse.

Now suddenly, the powerful Great Qian stepped in and shattered their dreams.

Not only would their ambitions be crushed, but they might also have to pay for their recent actions.

Just moments ago, they were dreaming of kingdoms and expansion.

Now? Their dreams were ashes—and retribution was coming.