Chapter 80 Epilogue
After a moment of reflection, Lin Zhaozhao threw herself into the intense preparations. The late emperor was wary of Yang Chong, and now that Mengcheng was developing rapidly, he sent the crown prince to test the waters and try to bring Mengcheng under his control. However, this plan was thwarted by the new emperor, and the outcome was self-evident.
Just as Lin Zhaozhao had expected, within a short span of six months, imperial edicts were issued one after another. In short, they ordered Yang Chong to voluntarily relinquish Mengcheng and send Yang Yuan to the capital as a hostage. The edicts were overwhelming and unstoppable.
However, the new emperor soon lost interest in Mengcheng. Firstly, after ascending the throne, he not only failed to improve people's livelihoods and benefit the people, but also imposed heavy taxes, leading to repeated disasters and unbearable suffering for the people, who were driven to desperation and rose up in rebellion.
What was originally just a minor disturbance that could have been appeased turned into a violent one when the new emperor became tyrannical, executing people by dismemberment and tearing them apart with five horses. As if in response, unrest continued in various places, like streams converging into rivers. At the same time, the Jidar tribe, which had close ties with the new emperor, completely broke with him due to disagreements and led their troops to attack Daliang.
Beset by external and internal troubles, the new emperor personally led an expedition to stabilize the morale of the army. However, the result was not satisfactory. The first battle was a disastrous defeat. Not only were all the supplies burned, but the new emperor also fled in a sorry state. This caused the morale of the army to collapse and the soldiers to lose heart.
In contrast, Jiddar's advance was unstoppable, sweeping through and capturing ten cities in succession.
Coincidentally, the city that was captured was not far from the rebel army and Mengcheng, and the two joined forces to form an encirclement.
"Report! Good news! General Yang has recaptured several cities in succession, and the barbarians have retreated to within thirty miles of our territory."
"As expected of General Yang."
"I've heard that General Yang and his soldiers all ride oxen, each one plump, strong, and incredibly powerful."
"They still use gunpowder; just light a tinderbox, and a whole area will explode in a flash."
"The fire they created grew stronger and stronger with each pour, routing the enemy forces."
"Thanks to General Yang..."
When the news reached the new emperor's ears, he went mad with fear and rage. One by one, his personal servants were carried away. The new emperor wiped his face, looked up at the sky, and said, "Father, I finally understand what you felt back then."
In the fortieth year of the Great Liang Dynasty, the barbarians retreated and the rebel army surrendered. The new emperor intended to eliminate them completely and kill all the rebels. Yang Chong pleaded for them and was imprisoned. When the news spread, the people surrounded the palace.
The following day, the new emperor was assassinated and died of poisoning. Since the new emperor had no children and Yang Chong was the son of Prince Yi, the people rallied their support and pushed him onto the throne.
With the dust settled, Li Jue refused the new emperor's generous reward and requested to return to Mengcheng, which the new emperor granted.
When the news reached Mengcheng, Lin Zhaozhao, though she had expected it, still breathed a sigh of relief, and even felt her body become lighter.
As night deepened and the stars shone brightly, Lin Zhaozhao teased Ping An, humming a lullaby. After the little one fell asleep, she lay on the rooftop, pretending to doze off.
Half asleep and half awake, the system's voice came, followed by a white light that enveloped her completely. Like a revolving lantern, frame after frame of scenes appeared before her eyes, constantly striking her heart.
From beginning to end, she had considered herself an outsider, minding her own business, but now she realized how wrong she was.
No wonder her temperament changed so drastically. Neither the Lin nor the Li family found it strange. Li Jue deeply loved Lin Zhaozhao and took care of her, an outsider, in every detail. His eyes were filled with deep affection.
Everything, simply because she is who she is.
Ultimately, she and the original owner were the same person, only she was completely ruined by the external system 009.
In her first life, she was the pampered eldest daughter of the Lin family. Because of Lin Zheng's numerous military achievements, she went from a peasant to a rising star in the capital. System 009 summoned a transmigrator who took over Lin Jinxiu's body. With spoilers and 009's help, Lin Jinxiu became a favored concubine, which led to her being forced to marry Li Jue, the son of the disabled princess.
One of them went mad, the other was miserable, and they hurt each other.
Driven by revenge, she constantly opposed Lin Jinxiu, causing chaos and destruction. In the end, she was shot through the heart after poisoning Lin Jinxiu. Her last memory before dying was Li Jue's panicked face.
In his second life, in order to save the situation, Heaven awakened Li Jue. After awakening, in order not to repeat the same mistakes, Li Jue changed his name and went to Linjia Village ahead of time. He married her and saved Lin Zheng.
However, just as there are obstacles in the way of Heaven, System 009 also has ways to deal with them. 009 created a Luck System and used Lin Jinxiu's original greed to target her, which is equivalent to indirectly lowering her intelligence and making her do things that are hard to understand.
This was the plot she thought she had transmigrated into a book; she died during her escape from famine after suffering endless torment.
With her death, 009 stole all her luck, along with the luck of the Lin family, leaving only Li Jue to struggle on and desperately seek revenge. Although he eventually killed Lin Jinxiu, 009 remained at large.
Perhaps fueled by overwhelming resentment, Li Jue learned of the Heavenly Dao. In order to completely eradicate System 009, Li Jue made a deal with the Heavenly Dao. She was sent to the apocalyptic world, while Li Jue traveled through countless worlds, restoring peace to the worlds disturbed by outsiders, and in return, she was given a chance to start over with him.
This is why she possesses wood-based superpowers and a spatial shop.
Because all of these were found by Li Jue to protect her.
Her eyes were sore and sore. After sorting everything out, Lin Zhaozhao opened her eyes and her vision was blurry. Her chest felt like it was churning with lava. All sorts of emotions came together, and she cried like a child.
Just then, a faint noise came from outside the door. Lin Zhaozhao wiped away her tears and rushed out. What she saw was that tall figure that haunted her dreams. Lin Zhaozhao stood there, and the two looked at each other from afar.
Lin Zhaozhao's eyes were blurry with tears as she sobbed. Li Jue rushed towards her in a panic, trembling as he wiped away her tears, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry, it breaks my heart."
"Li Jue..." Lin Zhaozhao threw herself into the man's arms, crying her heart out. Li Jue was heartbroken and at a loss for what to do. He didn't know where to put his hands. In the end, all he could do was pat Lin Zhaozhao's back and hold her tightly.
Once she calmed down, Lin Zhaozhao looked up, her eyes and nose red from crying, like a swollen rabbit. Li Jue felt a pang of pain in his heart. As their eyes met, he lowered his head slightly, their breaths mingling. Just as he was about to kiss Lin Zhaozhao's eyelids, he stopped as if waking from a dream.
"Fool." Lin Zhaozhao's voice was choked with sobs. With a pout, she wrapped her arms around Li Jue's neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips.
Their lips met, and Li Jue stood frozen in place like a puppet. It was no wonder he was like this; since arriving in Mengcheng, although they had had more intimate contact than a kiss, even been in close proximity, they had never kissed like this before. It was as if there was an invisible barrier between them that they could not remove no matter what.
How could he not be shocked, surprised, and excited by Lin Zhaozhao's actions today?
Feeling the soft warmth and pleasure on his lips, Li Jue's pupils contracted, and he subconsciously tightened his arms around Lin Zhaozhao's waist. His breathing became more rapid, and he murmured, "Zhaozhao, do you know what you're doing? If you do, I'll take it seriously."
"Aren't you really..." Before she could finish speaking, a fierce yet lingering kiss landed on her. Lin Zhaozhao felt as if her breath had been completely taken away. She couldn't breathe and could only try her best to breathe, which resulted in the man treating her even more roughly.
The two faced off, and when they finally let go, their eyes were red and their lips were swollen and sore. Lin Zhaozhao suppressed her soreness, hugged the man tightly around the waist, rested her head on his chest, listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat, and took a deep breath, tears falling again.
How did he manage to get through all those years, carrying so much hatred on his shoulders?
The more Lin Zhaozhao thought about Li Jue, the more she felt sorry for him.
Seeing Lin Zhaozhao like this, Li Jue realized what was going on. He picked her up, carried her into the room, wiped her face and washed her up. After everything was done, the two lay down on the bed together.
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