The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

He Dongchen led his troops to war, seemingly invincible. In less than half a month, he had captured several cities, spending more time traveling than fighting.

His opponents were left bewildered and questioning their very existence.

He Dongchen left a general to guard the conquered city and rushed back to Nandu with part of his troops.

Nandu was the most crucial city and couldn’t be lost.

On the day of his triumphant return, Mu Jingyuan stood at the city gate to welcome him.

Amidst the sea of people, their eyes met, and it felt like an eternity.

He Dongchen, clad in white armor, rode a tall horse, standing out among the thousands of soldiers. His presence was imposing and heroic.

Mu Jingyuan suddenly remembered what he had said when he left…

“Wait for me to come back and marry you.”

Her cheeks flushed, and her heart raced.

Beside her, Xiao Qi suddenly remarked, “His Highness is so wise and valiant. How could he have been so blind before, devoting himself to Meng Linglong?”

“Xiao Qi, watch your words!” Ming Yang scolded.

Xiao Qi immediately realized her mistake and cautiously glanced at Mu Jingyuan.

Because He Dongchen had other plans that weren’t made public, no one besides Wang Yi knew about Meng Linglong defecting to Chen. Most people believed that Meng Linglong had been captured and used as a hostage, and that the Crown Prince had sacrificed her for the greater good. Fortunately, Meng Linglong survived but remained in a coma, carefully tended to.

No one knew when Meng Linglong would wake up. For the sake of the greater good, the Crown Prince had to marry a Chen Kingdom woman to appease the people.

Ming Yang and Xiao Qi had mixed feelings about Mu Jingyuan’s background as a Chen Kingdom native, but they had no issues with Mu Jingyuan herself. Compared to other timid and self-deprecating Chen Kingdom women, Mu Jingyuan was assertive, perceptive, and respected and even admired them. They wholeheartedly approved of her as the Crown Princess.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward, and Ming Yang and the others racked their brains, wondering how to handle any questions Mu Jingyuan might ask about Meng Linglong.

However, Mu Jingyuan acted as if she hadn’t heard anything, remaining silent. She merely kept the name Meng Linglong in her mind.

She gazed at the man who was the center of attention, her thoughts whirling.

With He Dongchen’s triumphant return, the wedding plans were officially set in motion.

***

When the news was announced, it caused an uproar. The Crown Prince of Chao was going to marry the daughter of the Great Scholar Mingda from Chen, meaning that Chao Kingdom would soon be half-Chen.

With that realization, any resistance in people’s hearts dissipated entirely.

Of course, the critics became even more vocal, portraying Mu Mingda and his daughter as villains in plays and degrading them.

Fortunately, He Dongchen tightly controlled public opinion, ensuring that none of this reached the ears of the two main parties.

The wedding preparations proceeded smoothly. Mu Jingyuan learned many Chao Kingdom court rules, working diligently every day without complaint.

“Miss Mu, I’ve found out,” an inconspicuous palace maid whispered behind Mu Jingyuan.

Mu Jingyuan, who was practicing the bowing ceremony, paused and signaled for the maid to speak.

“Meng Linglong was a lone girl rescued by His Highness in his youth, reportedly an orphan from the Meng family.”

“Meng family? General Meng Ze?” Mu Jingyuan was surprised.

“Yes, that same Meng family that was once powerful and then exiled. It’s said they fled to Chao, nearly perishing on the way. Meng Linglong was fortunate to be saved by His Highness and has been boldly asserting herself under his protection ever since.”

“She commands respect and influence in Chao. It’s widely known that the Crown Prince once declared he would marry only Meng Linglong. But later, for the greater good, when Meng Linglong appeared on the city walls during the siege, His Highness had no choice but to personally shoot her.”

Mu Jingyuan’s face went pale, her lips trembling. “He shot her himself? Is she dead?”

“No, I heard she’s kept alive in the palace under heavy guard, especially against us Chen people,” the palace maid said, her expression worried. “Miss, that Meng Linglong is the Crown Prince’s old flame. He sacrificed her for the greater good during the siege, and now he must feel immense guilt and will surely try to make amends. You should, prepare yourself…”

“Stop your nonsense!” Mu Jingyuan snapped, her mind in turmoil. On one hand, there was Meng Linglong’s existence, and on the other, there was He Dongchen’s willingness to sacrifice a beloved woman for the greater good in the future without hesitation.

How could I naively believe we could live in harmony?

Mu Jingyuan forced a bitter smile and waved weakly. “You may leave.”

“Yes.” The palace maid dared not say more and obediently left.

***

The wedding drew nearer each day.

During this time, the two betrothed had only met once. He Dongchen briefly comforted Mu Jingyuan and then busied himself preparing for the miraculous events on the wedding day.

Indeed, He Dongchen had adopted the system’s suggestions and was planning to create some miracles on the wedding day.

Engraved stone tablets, golden statues; these were all worn-out ideas from past generations. He Dongchen wanted something fresh and was personally overseeing the preparations.

The system cheered excitedly beside him. [Those ignorant ancient people will surely be amazed!]

He Dongchen buried the final spirit stone, patted the dirt off his hands, and stood up. “Don’t mess up, or else…”

[I promise to complete the task!] The system immediately pledged loudly, pounding its chest. The big boss didn’t often use it, so if it didn’t perform well, it might get kicked out one day.

In mid-September, the weather was clear with not a cloud in sight for miles.

The Crown Prince of Chao Kingdom married the daughter of the Mu family, attracting widespread attention. The venue was set on a hillside on the outskirts, allowing the common people to witness the ceremony. The place was packed with people, and much of Nandu city was emptied.

He Dongchen wore the distinctive black and gold wedding attire of Chao Kingdom, standing on the high platform. He watched as Mu Jingyuan, dressed in elaborate attire, stepped up to the platform. Her face was veiled, hiding her expression.

The officiant loudly recited the wedding vows. After a complex series of rituals, He Dongchen took a joss stick and grasped Mu Jingyuan’s hand. Together, they placed the joss stick into the incense burner.

Mu Jingyuan cooperated outwardly but was inwardly surprised. This wasn’t quite the sequence we had discussed earlier.

Just as she was wondering, there was a sudden exclamation from below the platform, growing louder and more intense.

Mu Jingyuan turned her head and saw golden lights falling from the sky, drifting down all around them. It seemed as though a golden snowfall had enveloped the area, creating an ethereal atmosphere.

“What is this?” Mu Jingyuan had never seen such a magical scene before. Her expression was entranced as she reached out and caught one of the falling golden lights. In her palm lay a small, delicate yellow fruit, crystal clear and unlike anything she had ever seen before.

He Dongchen smiled faintly, reached out, picked up the seed, and threw it onto the ground. Immediately, the seed rapidly sprouted roots, broke through the soil, and swiftly grew into a lush corn plant, laden with fruit.

Mu Jingyuan was astonished.

Or rather, everyone present was astonished. They danced around the grown corn, rice, and wheat, exclaiming in amazement, causing a commotion.

Food fell from the sky, and crops grew from the ground! The lush green and golden crops covered the hillside, leaving no space for the people below.

The scene was chaotic for a while. Even the Chao soldiers responsible for maintaining order were caught up in the excitement, discussing loudly.

Food descending from the sky! Instant crop growth! It was unheard of, an ancient marvel!

Wang Yi had long suspected that the Crown Prince’s decision to set the venue outside the city had some arrangement, such as tricks played by cultivators from the Jianghu.

(T/N: Jianghu = the martial arts world/society.)

But he never dreamed it would be like this!

Such a bewildering scene!

Wang Yi was dazed. He steadied himself on the rapidly growing corn beneath his feet, plucked an ear of corn, and tentatively took a bite. It was sweet and juicy. He wiped the husk from his mouth, gazed at the Crown Prince on the high platform, who seemed like a god at that moment. Overwhelmed with emotion, he knelt down and shouted, “Crown Prince, you are the heavenly god incarnate!”

At this shout, others seemed to find their backbone and knelt down, echoing, “Heavenly god incarnate! Heavenly god incarnate!”

The crowd of ten thousand shouted in unison, their voices resounding, creating a grand and stirring scene.

He Dongchen took Mu Jingyuan’s hand, standing tall amidst the crowd’s gaze, and solemnly proclaimed, “I’m not a heavenly god incarnate, but I unite the world. Heaven is pleased and thus bestowed the seeds of crops.”

Wang Yi immediately understood and changed his tune, “Uniting the world! Crops bestowed! It is the will of heaven!”

Upon hearing that, everyone felt it made sense. Surely, it was because Heaven saw they were no longer fighting, living in harmony, that it bestowed the crops!

At that moment, even the disheartened people from Chen, who were thinking of restoring their country, began to waver.

Even Heaven was pleased to see the world united. Did they dare to sing a different tune than Heaven?

The miracle that happened at the wedding spread like wings across the world. Outsiders listened with confusion; Food falling from the sky? And it’s ripe as soon as it lands?

Has the sun risen from the west?

***

The people of Nandu who witnessed this miracle firsthand spread the news far and wide, eager for everyone to know.

Outsiders reacted casually, “Yeah.. yeah… food falling from the sky, ripe as soon as it lands.”

This infuriated the people of Nandu, rolling up their sleeves and shouting at them, “It’s true! It’s true! I’m not making this up!”

Even the Emperor of Chao, preparing to move the capital to the north, couldn’t believe it. Has my son gone too far?

The messenger delivering the news couldn’t contain his excitement and gestured wildly, “That day, golden light descended…”

The Emperor of Chao: “…”

Fortunately, the messenger didn’t come empty-handed and brought over a dozen carts of crop seeds.

Almost all of the crop seeds that descended that day had grown, yielding another batch of seeds after harvest. The quantity was substantial. Nandu City kept some and sent half back to Chao for planting.

The Emperor of Chao looked at the plump and glossy crop seeds with suspicion, “Let’s have them planted first. If they truly yield a high crop…”

The Emperor imagined that scene, feeling his blood boil with excitement and grandeur.

The messenger flattered, “Your Majesty is truly wise! Your leadership is impeccable!”

Since the Crown Prince led the army to annex the Kingdom of Chen, his popularity soared almost eclipsing that of the Emperor among the common folk. Hearing endless rumors, the Emperor couldn’t help but feel uneasy, but constrained by the Crown Prince’s unparalleled achievements, he dared not show it.

Now, with the miracle happening, the Crown Prince’s position became even more solid. Even if the Emperor wanted to depose him on some pretext, the Kingdom of Chen would welcome him with open arms.

The Crown Prince’s position was unshakable.

Otherwise, the Kingdom of Chen, barely secured, might slip away again.

The Emperor was acutely aware of this fact, so he decided to completely set aside any reservations and praised the Crown Prince warmly, looking genuinely pleased.

With officials and ministers accustomed to such dynamics, their scheming gradually diminished.

***

He Dongchen had already figured this out long ago from Nandu, so he stayed there calmly, managing the land without worrying about losing his position as Crown Prince.

After the grand wedding, He Dongchen wrapped up his affairs and took special care to clear his schedule to spend more time cultivating his relationship with Mu Jingyuan.

However, she was very busy, maintaining a respectful attitude as if something stood between them.

Watching Mu Jingyuan sitting behind the desk writing briskly, He Dongchen leaned closer curiously and asked, “What are you busy with, my dear?”

Mu Jingyuan’s pen trembled slightly, leaving large ink blots scattered across the neat paper.

“My dear?” she muttered, finding the address somewhat confusing.

Taking a deep breath and composing herself, she set down the pen and laid out a fresh sheet of paper, explaining, “I want to establish a shelter for homeless women across the realm to find refuge. I’m currently drafting the plans.”