"My child, how have you been all these years?" The mother-in-law asked, her eyes brimming with tears, as she gently patted Aunt Xin's back.
Aunt Xin straightened up, but like a child begging for candy, she grabbed her mother-in-law's hand, wiped her own tears and then her mother-in-law's tears, before saying, "I've been living in hiding all these years. How has Aunt Chang been doing?"
The old woman sighed and said with a kind smile, "I'm fine, everything's fine, it's just that I'm old and useless."
"Xin'er couldn't find you, couldn't take good care of you, I'm sorry to my master in the afterlife!" As she spoke, tears welled up in Aunt Xin's eyes again.
Hearing this, tears streamed down the mother-in-law's face again, and she finally broke down in sobs.
Aunt Xin stepped forward and wiped away her tears, saying guiltily, "I shouldn't have said that, it made Aunt Chang sad."
The mother-in-law waved her hand, and it took her a long time to stop crying, but she couldn't help sobbing.
The two then exchanged pleasantries, inquiring about each other's recent situations. The tear stains on their faces gradually dried, turning into calm and serene smiles.
"When I saw Guo Yan, it was at the General's Mansion. I was terrified and couldn't believe that the child was still alive and well and had grown up so much. I was so happy." Her voice trembled with tears as she said the last sentence.
Aunt Xin smiled and said, "When I first heard Yan'er say that she had seen you, I couldn't believe it either. After all these years, I thought you had long since passed away... It's so good to see you again."
Her mother-in-law patted her hand to comfort her: "It's good that you're alright. My life is complete."
Aunt Xin's smile turned sorrowful as she looked away and said, "Perfection? What constitutes perfection?"
Her voice was soft, but her mother-in-law could sense the deep-seated hatred hidden within it.
Recalling Chang Lili's hunting trip with Meng Yuxiu and their encounter in the hunting grounds, the old woman felt uneasy. Now, thinking back, the weapons those people carried were so sophisticated that they were very likely made by the people of Da Shun.
Suddenly, Aunt Xin turned to her mother-in-law, grabbed her arms tightly, widened her eyes, and asked anxiously, "Aunt Chang, I heard that you have a little girl by your side, could she be...?"
"No! No...no..." the mother-in-law said without thinking, a flash of fear in her eyes, "It's not what you think..."
Aunt Xin refused to let go of her arms and continued to ask, "Do you know what I'm going to ask? Are you afraid? What are you afraid of?"
The mother-in-law didn't dare to look into Aunt Xin's eyes, her gaze flickering as she looked away. She said guiltily, "I'm not afraid, I'm just... afraid of disappointing you."
"Is she a princess?" Aunt Xin looked at her mother-in-law with anticipation and went straight to the point.
Upon hearing this, the mother-in-law immediately shook her head and said without hesitation, "She is not. She is just an orphan girl I picked up on the roadside. I inevitably feel lonely, so I took her in and raised her, hoping that she will have someone to rely on when I get old."
Aunt Xin released her mother-in-law's arms, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing slightly, her expression turning serious.
The old woman was slightly out of breath. There was a moment of silence in the dilapidated courtyard. She came back to her senses, looked at Aunt Xin's sad profile, and asked, "Xin'er, tell me, what are you doing?"
Aunt Xin calmly turned her head to look at her, and said expressionlessly, "What are you doing?"
"What are you doing? I can sense that you're planning something," the mother-in-law said worriedly.
After a while, Aunt Xin slowly replied, saying matter-of-factly, "Of course it is, for revenge."
The mother-in-law looked at Aunt Xin with a sorrowful gaze: "Xin'er, what are you doing? How many of our people from Da Shun are still alive?"
Aunt Xin pondered for a moment: "Only a few hundred people, but each one is an elite."
The mother-in-law reached out and grabbed Aunt Xin's arm, saying solemnly, "Xin'er, do you know what you're doing? Back then, our Great Shun Dynasty failed to fight against the Yun Kingdom. What you're doing is undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock, courting your own destruction!"
"No! The reason why the Yun Kingdom was able to win back then was because they used treacherous and cunning methods. If it weren't for that, they would never have been able to win that war! Those despicable people are not worthy of ruling this country!" Aunt Xin fiercely shook off her mother-in-law's hand, and a ferocious look appeared on her usually cold and beautiful face as she spoke angrily.
The old woman's brows were furrowed with pain. She shook her head wearily and said, "No matter what, you are being too naive. We live in a peaceful and prosperous era. The people of Yun Kingdom live in peace and wealth. If you try to overthrow Yun Kingdom, you will be making enemies of the people. You will not succeed!"
"What about the people of Da Shun?" Aunt Xin asked indignantly. "Are the people of Da Shun just destined to be slaughtered innocently and become homeless, wandering ghosts?"
The old woman shook her head helplessly: "It's all in the past. Even if you avenge your family and restore your country, the people of Da Shun will never come back."
Aunt Xin suddenly looked at her mother-in-law with hope, smiling like a child: "They are gone, but we are still here. As long as we are alive, after the Great Shun is restored, it will sooner or later regain its former glory, no, it will be even more prosperous and powerful than before."
The mother-in-law raised her hand and lovingly touched Aunt Xin's face, choking back tears as she said, "Child, don't be naive. At least we're still alive, aren't we? The most important thing now is that we can all live well together, isn't it?"
Aunt Xin's smile gradually cooled. She looked at her mother-in-law as if she were a stranger. Suddenly, she shook off her mother-in-law's hand, causing her to stumble and almost fall.
"You're afraid, you're afraid of the current dog emperor. You live in the general's mansion, living a comfortable life, never lacking food or clothing. But do you know what kind of life we live?"
The mother-in-law shook her head: "It's not like that, it's not... Xin'er..."
"Don't call me Xin'er!" Aunt Xin took a step back, avoiding her mother-in-law's outstretched hand. "Look at me, don't I look like an empress?"
The mother-in-law's eyes welled up with tears, and she covered her mouth, unable to speak.
“Many people have said that I look like the Empress, and my sister… she treated me like her own sister,” Aunt Xin said, tears streaming down her face. “You also said that we are very similar. When you came in just now, the way you cried tears of joy made me feel that you would definitely stand with us to revive the Great Shun Dynasty and avenge my sister.”
Seeing her mother-in-law's tearful eyes, Aunt Xin was filled with rage and roared, "Do you remember how my sister died? She was the Empress! So noble, so beautiful, yet she was defiled to death by those filthy scum! Do you remember?"
The old woman tried to cover her mouth, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but cover her ears with her hands. The sound of pain burst out of her mouth without any obstruction. She cried out in pain, like a child, and her old body trembled like a leaf.
"Don't you want to avenge your sister and make those people get what they deserve? Why should we have to live a life of hiding and darkness, while these heartless people can be so carefree?" Aunt Xin's face was as ferocious as a demon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
