Fate-Holding Women

CHAPTER 8: EPILOGUE 

Under the cover of night, I drifted into the palace, swaying gently.

Several women, dressed in official robes and wearing black gauze hats, were still arguing about the new policies as they left the palace gates.  

The palace maids, carrying lanterns on their rounds, whispered to each other, “The Emperor hasn't been sleeping well lately. Don't disturb her.”  

I found the Emperor's sleeping chambers, passed through the wall, and quietly gazed at her sleeping face. 

She had aged.

Her once peach blossom-like beauty had been wrinkled by time like spring water, her skin had become loose, and the veins on the back of her hand were prominent.  

There were deep wrinkles between her brows, suggesting that she had many worries. 

Her pupils were no longer bright and clear, like a deep, unfathomable pool, their destination unknown.  

“You're awake,” I said with a smile.

“Ah, I'm awake,” she said.

 

“You've aged,” I commented.

 

“Is that so? Decades have passed, Cao'er is gone, and I should have aged as well,” she replied, then complained, “You're still the same as before. No, you're even more beautiful than before.”

 

“After all, you've been toiling away with state affairs, while I've been seeking immortality. Immortals always have some beauty-preserving techniques,” I joked with her.

 

“Being a Celestial Being is truly wonderful. Coming and going freely in the Imperial Palace.”

“It's not that great,” I couldn't help but reply.

 

“How have you been all these years? Is the Celestial realm full of cloud palaces, mist-shrouded pavilions, and exotic flowers and plants?”

 

“There are indeed exotic flowers and plants,” I replied, “...but the Celestial realm is not a Celestial realm; it's just a group of mortals seeking immortality. They still engage in the same old plunder and struggle.”

 

“Tell me about your experiences these past years,” she said, seeming tired, and half-closing her eyes.

 

I thought for a moment, not knowing where to begin, before finally saying, “I found a master, joined a sect, and learned cultivation techniques and martial arts. The sect is called the Jixing Sect (Lucky Star Sect), but from the sect leader down to the disciples, everyone is incredibly unlucky. The reason is that although our sect's cultivation methods are powerful, they consume one's luck. Many incredibly talented disciples have died from various unlucky coincidences. Therefore, other sects call our sect members ‘ill-starred’.”

 

“This cultivation method is quite suitable for you,” she coldly snorted.

“So I need a new husband,” I sighed. “The first partner I found in the cultivation world was from a prominent cultivation family. He was very good to me, gentle, considerate, and attentive. He was handsome and understanding.”

 

The Emperor remained unimpressed. “If he were truly a perfect man, you, Song Xian Yin, wouldn't have gone looking for him.”

 

I gave a sly smile. “Yes, the reason their family is so prosperous is because they raise a type of insect called the Soul-Devouring Worm. They capture cultivators with outstanding talent but humble backgrounds and feed them to the worms to devour their spiritual roots. Twenty cultivators are needed to raise a single Soul-Devouring Worm. And by consuming the Soul-Devouring Worm, cultivators who were originally of average talent can become Heaven-grade spiritual roots, their cultivation progressing rapidly.

After I married into that family, everyone praised me for being virtuous and understanding. However, once the matter of the Soul-Devouring Worm was exposed, their family's luck took a sharp downturn. After I caused further destruction, the new generation turned out to be entirely ordinary, not even possessing five spiritual roots. My partner, too, was plagued by bad luck and was struck dead by lightning early on.”

 

After finishing my tale, I asked, “What about you? As the Emperor, I suppose everything goes smoothly for you?”

 

“Not at all. It's full of worries everywhere,” the Emperor said, rubbing her temples.

“Being an Emperor means being a lonely person. Without eyes and ears, I rely entirely on what others tell me about the Capital, the provinces, the counties, and the towns—it's hard to discern the truth.

 

The ministers in the court argue solely for their own interests, with noble families merging lands to evade land taxes, while those from humble backgrounds form cliques for personal gain. If my actions align with their desires, I am seen as wise and powerful; if not, I am labeled as foolish and incompetent!

Everyone is corrupt, and it's hard to find an honest official. Honest officials who do not sink to the level of their colleagues are suspected by the corrupt of wanting to expose them. They may either frame him or set him up to make a mistake, holding something against him; otherwise, they will seek to eliminate him.

 

When issues arise, those who are ultimately pushed forward for me to deal with are never the real culprits.

 

I want to know how the common people live, but from the commoners to the village heads, then to the county magistrates, the governors, the court, and finally to the Palace, the distance is vast! One person speaks to another, and by the time it reaches the fourth person, it's far from the original. Not to mention the layers of bureaucracies? What reaches my ears is always a picture of peace, yet the world is difficult; how can there be so much peace? Even if I send people to investigate, how can they truly survey the entire Empire?

As time goes on, I feel that being an Emperor means being both deaf and blind.

 

I said I wanted to establish a girls' school and encouraged them to send their daughters to study. However, when the school was finally opened, no one showed any interest.

 

The daughters from noble families have their own family teachings and look down upon the mixed and chaotic environment of the girls' school.

The daughters of merchants don’t worry about food and clothing and are unrestrained; they only care about counting money and feel that studying classics and history is of little value.

 

As for the daughters of poor families, they must work and contribute to the household. How can parents afford to reduce their income by raising a daughter solely for the purpose of education?

 

So I suggested that families sending their daughters to the girls' school would receive a monthly monetary allowance.”

 

“This is terrible.” I sighed.

 

“Yes, in no time at all, the trend of trafficking women surged. Many farmers' daughters were abducted, all for the sake of that allowance.”

The Emperor shook her head. “Only then did I realize how unpredictable human nature is. A seemingly good policy can be twisted into a bad one by crooked hearts.”

 

“And how did you solve it?” 

 

“I ordered the noble ladies and princesses to enter the girls' school. If the daughters of noble families wanted to build connections, they had to attend. Merchants' daughters who achieved top marks in the school would receive a reduction in commercial taxes. Poor families' daughters who enrolled could work in the school to earn money and food, with wages higher than the local average. I also ordered Cao'er to establish a girls' school supervisory office to conduct regular inspections, overt and covert. Those who trafficked women would be exiled at the lightest, and executed at the worst. Only then did my girls' school finally get students.”

Being an Emperor is truly hard work, I mused.

 

“The Qi army is fiercely loyal to Qi Changlan. Even if your maternal uncle's border troops were recalled, it would take several months. Without military strength, your attempt to usurp the throne would be extremely difficult.”

 

“Indeed, it wasn't easy,” the Emperor sighed. “When we married, the country was still shattered, rebel armies were numerous, and the false Emperor in the South was a constant threat. I accompanied Qi Changlan on numerous campaigns. He was responsible for fighting and winning battles, while I took advantage of the chaos to rescue soldiers. Those who survived became my people.

I selected promising soldiers and had Cao'er talk to their wives. I memorized their names, where they lived, how many siblings they had, whether they had old injuries, and any dietary restrictions. Whenever Qi Changlan distributed rewards, I made sure to do it thoughtfully and considerately. If I was unwell, Qi Changlan would do it, but he always fell short compared to me.

When there were opportunities for merit, I would subtly recommend them without leaving any trace. Cao'er would then discuss it in detail with their wives, and over time, they came to appreciate my kindness, unaware of Qi Changlan's involvement.

 

Qi Changlan's foster brothers were all remarkable figures of the time. I intentionally sowed discord among them; for those who had fewer achievements, I would use Qi Changlan's name to suggest they were gravely injured and reward them generously. Conversely, I would deliberately suppress those who had achieved more. This led to various grievances among their wives.

There are also some seemingly trivial details where I put in a lot of effort...

 

No matter how deep the feelings, they cannot withstand the erosion of petty grievances. In the end, while the Qi army returned victorious and the false Emperor in the South surrendered, the hearts of the people had become chaotic.”

 

She spoke lightly, but I knew that each of these matters required years of painstaking work.

 

“A thousand-mile dyke can collapse from an ant hole. Qi Changlan, in his pride and bravery, probably doesn't see these subtle details,” I sighed.

She didn't answer, but instead turned to me and asked, “What about you? I don't believe that a greedy person like you would stop after finding only one partner.”

 

I chuckled; she truly understood me.

 

“As for me, after finding another partner burdened with karmic debts, his sect, which was involved in colluding with the Demon Realm to sell cultivators, disappeared. But I didn't expect that the cultivation world is full of strange people and events. Even if I tried to hide it, I still left traces and was noticed by those who were paying attention.

This man accidentally obtained an ancient demonic technique that allowed him to place a mark of desire on women, making them infatuated with him. He used this dark power to capture many female cultivators, who willingly became his furnace, and built a palace in a deep mountain, living a carefree life surrounded by thousands of beautiful women.

 

Along with this demonic technique came a list of special female physiques, detailing hundreds of types that were beneficial to men. For instance, there were records of pure yin bodies, crystal-clear physiques... and naturally, there were also entries about the Fate-Holding Women.

He found it suspicious that my two partners' families and sects had fallen, and traced it back to me.”

 

The Emperor clapped her hands and laughed, “He knew you killed your husbands and still dared to harbor a tiger?”

 

I couldn't help but laugh as well, “He fully believed that I killed my husbands only because I hadn't truly loved them. He thought that a cold and heartless woman like me, the more ruthless I was, the more unreservedly I would love once I fell in love.

He never learned his lesson. He always thought highly of himself, and the day he caught me, he placed the mark on me, making me fall in love with him. Then he ordered me to marry into a prominent sect, seize their luck, and transfer it to him. He didn't know that some women, when they fall in love with a man, will wholeheartedly obey, while others, even if they are moved, won't hesitate to kill. He also forgot that besides being a Fate-Holding Woman, I am also a cultivator.

I leaned against his chest, full of affection and admiration, but secretly used a magical artifact to shatter his golden core.

 

After I killed that beast, the women regained consciousness and vomited uncontrollably.

 

They took his soul, wiped away his mind, and I don't know what they did with it afterwards. It was all his due, so there's nothing much to say about it.

 

But before he died, he played a trick on me. When I left the mountains, I discovered that everyone knew about my identity as a Fate-Holding Woman. Because of my ability to wipe out entire families and sects with a smile, I was actually ranked as the first of the Six Demonesses.

My master, however, was overjoyed and urged me to quickly have daughters to continue this precious bloodline, so he wouldn't have to worry about the Jixing Sect lacking successors in the future.

 

In an instant, all the men in the cultivation world felt uneasy, only daring to flirt but afraid to form contracts with their partners, fearing that they might bring home a woman like Song Xian Yin. As a result, in just a hundred years, the number of high-level female cultivators in this realm significantly increased.”

The Emperor was in high spirits, pointing at me and laughing heartily. “Song Xian Yin, Song Xian Yin, you've finally met your match!”

 

I sighed helplessly, “The world is full of surprises.”

 

I sighed for a while, then couldn't help but laugh again.

 

“And another funny thing! Since I became so famous, some men, even if they look like old toads, still avoid me like the plague. They're afraid I'll want to marry them!”

The Emperor felt the same way, “Men really are like that. I once summoned several beautiful young men to serve me, and those unsightly men in the court were actually terrified, not daring to be alone with me. As if I don't have eyes!”

 

We looked at each other, then pointed and laughed uproariously.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, I saw the sky turning white and turned to her with a gentle smile. “Your Highness, I must leave now.”

 

“After all these years, I've actually heard that title ‘Your Highness’ again.”

 

Her slightly cloudy gaze looked past me, as if seeing the girl from many years ago, dressed in red, whipping her horse, as passionate and vibrant as a pomegranate flower.

Time has flown by.  

The Eldest Princess of the past, driven by ruthlessness and ambition, has become the ruler of a nation, just as I had imagined.  

And she's done well.

 

“I know you did it on purpose,” she said suddenly.

 

“Hmm?”

“You deliberately ascended when Qi Changlan was about to arrive, ensuring he would miss you and it would become a lifelong regret for him.”

 

The Emperor said, “I don't blame you, I thank you. Those who haven't been Emperor won't understand how wonderful it is to control the life and death of everyone with every move.

I was young and naive back then, clinging to love and fearing power. How foolish and ridiculous I was!

 

Song Xian Yin, I thank you. You gave me this ambition.”

 

“Your Highness is too kind,” I replied, offering her a pill. “It's the way of Heaven. Human Emperors cannot cultivate immortality. Each generation of Human Emperors has their own destined end. But I can still make you live a little longer.” 

She accepted the pill without ceremony. “You once said you would only return on the day you ascended. Have you ascended now?”

 

I nodded, then shook my head.

“During my tribulation period, I met a sword cultivator. He was cold to me on the surface, but secretly loved me deeply. He was afraid that I carried too much karmic debt and would die during my ascension tribulation. So he silently endured several tribulation thunderbolts for me, and thus perished.

 

Because of this, I overcame my inner demons and ascended to become a celestial being.

 

My real body is still soaking in the Ascension Pool. Thinking of a past promise, I sent a wisp of my soul down to the lower realms to see you.”

The Emperor, observing my expression, suddenly asked, “Did you have feelings for this person?”

 

“Yes,” I admitted. “I had love for him, gratitude, and guilt. But the feeling of ascension was truly exhilarating. Those who haven't ascended will probably never understand that ultimate bliss. I think, given another chance, I still wouldn't stop him from dying for me.”

 

The Emperor teased, “And then shed a single tear for him?”

 

I burst out laughing, “Exactly!”

——THE END——

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T/N: If you meet with any translation mistake, please feel free to let me know. Thanks for reading. 😘 

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