Not long after Li Sheng ascended the throne, Shangguan Shi reported that Jiang Meimei was on her deathbed and wished to see Mingting one last time.
Li Sheng had long known about this woman who could drain others' luck and read people's fortunes.
Over the years, Jiang Meimei has discovered many talents for the nation, so after seeking Mingting's consent, Li Sheng agreed to her request.
When she saw Mingting again, Jiang Meimei's eyes were dazed.
She had recently had a dream.
In the dream, she had absorbed the luck of many people, and Jiang Xiao'e's entire family died, and Mingting perished too.
The Crown Prince... No, the current emperor's dragon aura completely drained by her, which finally changed her unlucky physique.
In the end, she became the Empress of Blessed Fortune, revered as the mother of the world, loved by her husband her entire life, with filial children.
The dream felt so vivid and beautiful that when Jiang Meimei woke up, she struggled to distinguish dream from reality, thinking that the reality was actually a dream.
Jiang Meimei remembered every detail of the dream's plot, including Mingting's role.
She had stolen Jiang Xiao'e's act of saving him and siphoned her luck, directly causing Jiang Xiao'e's death.
When the unconscious Mingting awoke, Jiang Meimei lied and claimed she was the one who had saved him.
The Mingting in her dream was entirely different from the one she met in reality. He truly treated her as his benefactor, repaying her kindness with everything he had.
He was even willing to drink poisoned wine so that Jiang Meimei could secure her position as the Empress.
'Why was the difference between the dream and reality so vast? Why!'
Jiang Meimei asked Mingting this question.
"Because… I was reborn!"
Mingting leaned close to the iron cage and smiled at Jiang Meimei, who was lying inside with gray hair and dull eyes.
"You were too arrogant! Your biggest mistake was telling me the truth while feeding me that poisoned wine."
"Look at me now. I've reborn and repaid my real benefactor. He Gu is now the revered matriarch of the Duke of Zhongyi's Mansion, Jiang Xiao'e has become the wife of a high-ranking third-rank official, Daya is a thriving principal at a girls' school. Even Xiaosong has become a local magistrate..."
"And His Majesty… I will assist him in becoming a wise ruler, ensuring he never meets the same fate as in our past life. So? Don't you think I'm a man who truly repays kindness?"
'What?!'
Jiang Meimei looked at Mingting in horror, her mind becoming more and more muddled.
In her dream, the old emperor had died early, and the young Crown Prince ascended the throne at fifteen, but in reality, Emperor Li had lived to this day.
'Is what Ming Ting said true?'
'Did he really come back to the past and change everything?'
"You're lying! This is just a dream, it's not real!" Jiang Meimei clawed at her hair, her voice bordering on hysteria.
"I was kind enough to tell you the truth because you're about to die. Weren't you the one who did the same to me in our past life?"
Mingting's expression was almost regretful.
"Unfortunately, I'm a good man now, so I can't feed you poisoned wine. Otherwise, I'd like to let you know what it feels like to have your heart and intestines rot from the inside."
"Ahhh…!"
Jiang Meimei refused to accept this reality. After days of madness, she starved herself to death.
Upon her death, the rogue system finally unbind itself and quickly fled. But before it could escape more than a few steps, Fengtian, who had been lying in wait, swallowed it whole.
"Burp…"
Fengtian let out a satisfied hiccup, and fell asleep for thirty years before waking up.
…
In this life, Mingting and Li Sheng, sworn brothers in all but blood, worked in perfect harmony.
One granted absolute trust and authority, while the other repaid it with unwavering loyalty, dedicating his entire life to the nation.
When Li Sheng fell gravely ill and neared the end, Mingting, leaning on a cane, entered the palace.
By now, all those close to him had passed, and Su Lingyi has already passed away.
Their only daughter had become the Empress, and the children she gave birth to have grown up, with the eldest already crowned Crown Prince.
The current emperor had been Mingting's disciple and had studied with him for five years. When he saw Mingting, he hurried forward to support the elderly man.
"Teacher, please… see Father one last time…"
The Emperor, who was still in his prime, had red eyes.
Mingting sat by the bedside, and Li Sheng grabbed his hand.
"Brother… I have to go first!"
The once-young Crown Prince now had age spots all over his face, his hair white, and a few of his teeth are missing.
"Brother Ting, the happiest moment of my life… was the day I fell into the river and met you."
"I'm glad I met you too, Big Brother! You said you would protect me, and you have indeed protected me all my life."
Mingting's eyes glistened.
"In the next life… let's be brothers again! I'll protect you then too…"
"Of course!"
That very night, Li Sheng passed with a smile.
When the emperor sent word to the Duke of Zhongyi's Mansion to inform Ming Ting, the messenger returned in tears and said that the old Duke had peacefully died in his sleep, at the exact same moment as Li Sheng.
The previous Emperor and the old Duke were sworn brothers. They swore to die on the same day of the same month of the same year, and had fulfilled their oath.
The entire nation mourned.
Countless women who had studied in girls' schools and now worked in various fields knelt toward the capital, weeping as they bid farewell to the late Emperor and the Duke.
This ruler and his most trusted subject had spent their lives transforming the fate of women, offering them a new way of life. They were their benefactors.