Chapter 94

The setting sun dyed the western sky as if it were splashed with rouge. The wind blew up the dead grass debris on the hillside, sticking it to the hem of Luo Sanrong's plain skirt.

She looked at the gilded eaves of the palace not far away, and her fingertips unconsciously twisted the corners of her clothes. The news that Li Yin had agreed to the marriage was the result of her long-term planning, but at this moment, her heart felt like it was pressed by a piece of wet cotton wool, making her feel suffocated and uneasy.

She bowed towards the distant splendor, as if to say "May you have a smooth life". When she turned around, her shadow was stretched out by the setting sun, dragging alone on the stone road behind her.

The walk down the mountain was slow. The aroma of rice wine wafting from the street-side taverns and the shouts of the peddlers knocking on their clappers seemed to be coming from behind a layer of fog.

Luo Sanrong's mind was still full of thoughts about going to the cloth shop tomorrow to pick out a piece of light green cloth to make a new jacket for her mother, but her feet suddenly stopped. Wasn't that familiar scarlet at the corner of the street the color of the uniforms of the palace guards?

Seven or eight people were coming out of her house in an orderly manner, and the long swords at their waists were flashing coldly in the twilight.

Luo Sanrong's heart skipped a beat and he subconsciously shrank back towards the old locust tree next to him, digging his fingertips tightly into the rough bark, even his breathing became lighter.

It was not until the sound of the guards' footsteps completely disappeared at the end of the alley that she seemed to have lost all her strength. She leaned against a tree trunk to slow down, then ran home without even noticing that her skirt was torn by a stone.

When the old wooden door was pushed open, the creaking sound was particularly harsh in the silence.

The scene before him made Luo Sanrong's blood run cold instantly - the neatly folded bedding was pulled to the ground, the pottery jar was smashed into pieces, rice grains mixed with soil were scattered all over the floor, and even his mother's most precious green-glazed porcelain bowl was broken into several pieces.

Her voice trembled as she called out "Mom" over and over again, her feet moving back and forth in the chaotic room, every step feeling like she was walking on the edge of a knife.

"Luo Zhen..."

A faint voice came from behind the stove, with a crying tone, as thin as a thread about to break.

Luo Sanrong suddenly turned around, stumbled over, squatted down and pushed away the firewood blocking the stove, and saw his mother Xiulan curled up in the corner, her hair disheveled, tears still on her face, and there seemed to be some blood at the corner of her mouth.

"Mom!" Luo Sanying quickly hugged his mother in his arms. When his fingers touched his mother's cold hands, he gasped with heartache.

She patted her mother's back gently, but couldn't help but let her tears fall, hitting her mother's clothes.

It was all her fault. If she hadn't gone to the hillside, if she hadn't come back earlier, how could the house have become like this? A huge regret flooded her like a tide, making her unable to even finish her words.

Xiulan leaned in her daughter's arms, her breath as weak as a candle in the wind. She raised her hand to grab Luo Sanrong's sleeve, her knuckles turning white from the force, and her voice was intermittent: "Your father... your father is still alive."

"What?" Luo Sanrong opened her eyes wide suddenly, thinking that she had misheard. She held her mother's shoulders and asked anxiously, "Mom, what did you say? My dad... didn't he..." Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by her mother shaking her head.

Xiulan's tears welled up again, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the back of Luo Sanrong's hand, bringing a piercing chill: "I originally thought... I thought he could live a peaceful life as a 'dead man' in the south, but now... now everything is messed up... Those guards came here just to find him..."

Luo Sanrong froze in place. Her mother's crying continued in her arms, but her mind was blank.

Dad is still alive?

This person, who had existed only in her mother's memories since she could remember, was actually still alive? And did the arrival of those guards mean that the peaceful days were completely over from this moment on?

——

In the imperial study, candlelight flickered, and bright yellow curtains swayed silently. His Majesty had just woken from a faint, his pale fingers clutching the brocade quilt tightly, his knuckles turning pale. His throat rolled several times, his hoarse voice trembling with disbelief as he confirmed again, "Hong Jingxiu... is he still alive?"

Wei Zheng bowed and replied from the steps below. The gold thread on his dark court robes shone coldly in the candlelight. "Your Majesty, the traitor has been captured and is currently being escorted to the Heavenly Prison by the Imperial Guards."

"Impossible!" His Majesty suddenly sat up on the imperial couch, his face full of panic, "He was already dead in the fire in Dingzhou more than ten years ago, how could he still be alive?" Before he finished speaking, his chest heaved, as if he was about to get angry again.

Sun Xing hurriedly took a half step forward and added in a low voice, "According to the report from the captain who captured the traitor, Hong Jingxiu pretended to die in the fire, but in fact he was hiding his whereabouts and secretly contacting his former subordinates, intending to plot a larger rebellion."

"Treason..." His Majesty muttered these two words, and a trace of fear suddenly flashed in his eyes. "A few days ago, late at night, I dreamed that someone sneaked into the Yangxin Palace. That person's figure... It turned out that it was not a dream!" He slapped the armrest of the imperial couch, his voice full of anger.

Xu Jiang frowned and said, "The Crown Prince's wedding is a national celebration, and Hong Jingxiu chose that day to infiltrate the palace. His intentions are despicable! Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to thoroughly investigate his accomplices to prevent further trouble."

Seeing His Majesty's expression grow increasingly grim, Zhao Wanyong quickly stepped forward to offer his advice, "Your Majesty, calm down. Your health is paramount. The date for the Crown Prince's state wedding can still be rescheduled, but now that the traitor has been captured, you must not let your anger harm your health."

His Majesty suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "That Hong Jingxiu has humiliated me for ten years, making me mistakenly believe that the great threat has been eliminated. Even if such a criminal is executed by slow slicing, it will not ease the hatred in my heart!"

The Prime Minister bowed and echoed, "Your Majesty is wise. Hong Jingxiu has committed the heinous crime of treason and deserves death. I earnestly request that Your Majesty personally carry out the execution to serve as a warning to others and deter other villains throughout the world."

"Carry out the execution yourself?" Li Yin stepped forward, his tone somewhat cautious. "Your Majesty, just hearing the news that Hong Jingxiu survived, His Majesty fainted from anxiety and anxiety. He is now in a state of confusion. If I carry out the execution myself, it might be detrimental to His Majesty's health."

Zhao Wanyong also nodded quickly. "Your Highness is absolutely right. Your Majesty, you absolutely cannot personally carry out the execution. Your body is related to the country and the people. How can you let a mere traitor destroy it? It is better to hand it over to the Dali Temple for trial and punishment according to the law."

His Majesty's eyes hardened, he waved his hand, and said in an unquestionable tone: "No need to say more! I have made up my mind. I will do as the Prime Minister said and carry out the execution myself! I want to see the traitor brought to justice with my own eyes, only then can I relieve my ten years of hatred!" After saying this, he leaned heavily on the imperial couch, his chest still heaving, obviously he was upset.

When Mr. Shang heard that Hong Jingxiu was still alive, his heart was like a raging storm, and he couldn't calm down for a long time.

His body trembled slightly as he slowly moved to the window, his eyes looking through the window lattice into the dark night.

"He really is still alive..." Shang Gong murmured, his voice so soft that it seemed as if it would be swept away by the breeze. "I have waited so long, but to meet him in such a state, it is truly awful."

Weidao appeared silently behind Shang Gong, his posture straight and his expression as calm as water.

"Your Majesty has ordered that he be brought to the palace immediately. Your Majesty will personally carry out the execution." Wei Dao's words were like a cold light, passing through the quiet night.

Shang Gong seemed not to hear, his eyes were still fixed on the distance. At this time, a glimmer of light had quietly emerged on the horizon, indicating that dawn was about to come.

After a long time, Shang Gong slowly turned around, straightened his back, and his eyes were full of determination and firmness, and the light seemed to be able to penetrate the thick night.

"Even if it costs me my life and exhausts all my energy, I will definitely rescue him."