Chapter Thirty-Four: The Things of That Year Were All Difficult

The eight ghosts had just been released and were still a little confused about their situation. After all, the underworld official had just said that too many ghosts outside were consuming her soul power and that she would call them again if needed. Before they could fully adjust to the outside world, they saw a female ghost fiercely pounce on them.

Su Zhenzhen watched with great interest. Duan Fuling went over and slapped each of them in the face. Huo Yi to Huo Ba were all stunned by the slaps.

Although a good man doesn't fight with a woman, who has ever seen someone get slapped right off the bat?

Huo Ba had a bad temper. "You little brat, why can't you talk things out instead of hitting me?"

Ghosts also feel pain. Duan Fuling has twenty years of cultivation, and the force of the series of slaps that hit Huo Ba's face was the greatest.

Duan Fuling spat directly, "Why didn't you let me into Shanxian County twenty years ago? Did you explain things properly back then? Everyone who approached the city gate was shot to death by arrows, and you also injured people?"

Duan Fuling chased after Huo Ba, but Huo Ba, being a soldier, couldn't fight with a woman. Moreover, hearing the implication in her words about the people of Shanxian who had died twenty years ago, he couldn't help but feel guilty and could only keep dodging.

Su Zhenzhen was watching with great interest; she wished she had a bag of sunflower seeds at that moment.

Someone in the live stream, who shared the same interests, gifted him a bag of sunflower seeds.

[This bag of sunflower seeds is worth twenty points. Female lead, crack them louder!]

Su Zhenzhen promised to complete the task, cracking sunflower seeds loudly, and even circling around the group to switch perspectives for the viewers in the live stream.

The others didn't dare to step forward to stop Huo Ba when they saw him being beaten, after all, they had also let down the fleeing people because of what happened in Shanxian County.

Duan Fuling wasn't satisfied after beating Huo Ba, so the other seven ghosts also got a good beating.

The whole process left Hensheng and the others dumbfounded, while Su Zhenzhen cracked melon seeds so hard they flew everywhere.

After Duan Fuling had finished her beating, General Huo suddenly knelt down before her.

“Daughter of the Duan family, I have wronged the people of Xijun back then, but if I were to do it all over again, I would still abandon Xijun to protect the Central Plains. If you have any grievances or hatred in your heart, feel free to seek revenge on me.”

"Hmph! General, you certainly know how to behave. Tens of thousands of lives, you think you can just casually kneel down and wipe them all away?" Duan Fuling continued to argue, but her tone softened considerably, and she even turned slightly to the side when General Huo knelt down.

Su Zhenzhen finished eating her sunflower seeds and was wondering if she should ask the comments section to get her another bag when she discovered that these bored people were arguing about who was right and who was wrong.

Why can't the people of Xijun save themselves? Ultimately, it's because they're too weak, utterly useless!

[As the Grand General of the entire dynasty, General Huo should have been intimately familiar with the enemy presence in various regions, knowing exactly how many troops to deploy where and where to abandon defenses—all things he should have considered before the battle even began. The female ghost is right; the sacrifice of the people of Xijun was made to protect the Emperor in the capital.]

Su Zhenzhen wasn't interested in these debates. In short, everyone had their own difficulties back then. Duan Du'an didn't abandon the people, and General Huo guarded the capital. Who can say who was right and who was wrong?

However, Jiang Sijin's reaction was quite intriguing.

She didn't stop Duan Fuling from hitting people, nor did she stop General Huo from kneeling down.

Isn't this little girl always talking about loyal ministers and virtuous generals?

Su Zhenzhen narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking that Jiang Sijin's purpose might not just be to enjoy princess treatment.

In the end, Hensheng bowed deeply to Duan Fuling.

“Miss Duan, on behalf of the entire Jiang family dynasty, I apologize to you.”

Duan Fuling raised a slight eyebrow, "And who do you think you are?"

"I am Jiang Yichun's son."

As soon as she finished speaking, Duan Fuling started to go berserk again.

Before Su Zhenzhen could make a move, a clump of hair bound her hands and feet.

Jiang Sijin stepped forward and said, "The Duan family has lived up to the expectations of the people and served the country loyally, yet you want to harm the imperial bloodline. Do you want to be nailed to the pillar of humiliation for being a traitor?"

Unable to move, Duan Fuling could only hurl insults, "And who do you think you are? How dare you interfere in my business?"

A strand of hair flew up and slapped Duan Fuling across the face.

"Remember this well, I am Princess Jiang Sijin of the Jiang Dynasty."

Duan Fuling was indignant, but after so many years of being both human and ghost, she still understood the principle that circumstances were beyond her control. She looked at Su Zhenzhen with teary eyes.

"Lord of the Underworld..."

Then Su Zhenzhen spoke up and said something fair: "There were different considerations in what happened back then. If your father had been stationed in Shan County, with refugees from Xijun fleeing below the city, followed by ruthless barbarians, and the emperor in the capital barely able to protect himself, and famine victims fleeing north from the south, would your father or you have really opened the city gates under such circumstances?"

If the city gates are opened, the barbarians will seize the opportunity to break in, making it difficult to reverse the situation in the Central Plains, and more people will die under the iron cavalry.

If the city gates were not opened, only tens of thousands of people in Xijun would die.

Anyone in a high position knows how to make a choice.

But Duan Fuling just couldn't accept it.

Why? The western region is bitterly cold and has no natural defenses. Her father voluntarily settled down in the yellow earth, and even named himself after the safety of the capital. He also carefully taught her from a young age, all so that she could serve the emperor in the palace in the future.

Duan Fuling, who was raised as a concubine since childhood, not only never saw the emperor's face, but also became a plaything for barbarian soldiers.

This is why her parents were reincarnated after their deaths, while she alone wandered in the world.

Su Zhenzhen noticed that the karmic threads on Duan Fuling's body had loosened a bit. In fact, it's both difficult and easy to help a wronged soul like her to be redeemed.

Cause and effect are all in a single thought; it all depends on whether you can let go and forgive yourself.

Su Zhenzhen appealed to her emotions and reason, "Actually, you understand the道理 (principles/reasoning), but you're unwilling to let go. However, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Your parents have already been reincarnated. You've clung to this world for twenty years, but have you received an answer?"

Duan Fuling shook her head. When she first died, she had always wanted to ask General Huo, who loved his people so much, why he had abandoned the people of Xijun. But after being a ghost for so long, she had become so bored that she had thought about everything over and over again. The answers to some questions had long been obvious, but she had simply been unwilling and afraid to look at them.

But she still resented and hated, because she was the one who suffered.

The karmic threads binding Duan Fuling have been completely untangled.

"I'm willing to be reincarnated, but Lord Underworld Messenger, could you please dig up my remains? And prepare a beautiful dress for me? My mother said I'm going to become a concubine in the palace."

Su Zhenzhen readily agreed, saying it was a small matter and that Duan Fuling deserved it anyway.

I bought a set of ancient costumes on credit from the live streamer, and a rich lady gave me 10,000 points as a reward, plus a set of jewelry as a bonus.

Su Zhenzhen was overjoyed. She didn't have to pay any debts and even made a profit. Her performance also improved. It was indeed a case of girls helping girls. After all, who wouldn't feel sorry for Duan Fuling after hearing about her experience?

However, there are indeed people with heartless hearts.