Chapter 229: Taking the Risk and Indulging in Temporary Pleasure
The administrative team has been set up, and Su Zhenzhen only needs to go to the county government office every day to report on her work to the officials.
If she were to make major decisions, she feared that she might accidentally ruin the foundation she had worked so hard to build.
Su Zhenzhen arranged for the cook's body to be properly returned to Tianjia Village for burial. After all, she was implicated by Su Zhenzhen and killed by thieves. Su Zhenzhen wished the cook a good reincarnation and sent a sum of money to each of her children.
Of course, Hu Wen paid for it; without the system store, Su Zhenzhen would be penniless.
Thirty thousand troops were stationed at the north gate of Yangcheng, to guard against Huzhou sending troops south again.
At this time, Hensheng also led his men back to Yangcheng.
Upon hearing of the fierce battle that had befallen Yangcheng, Hensheng didn't even have time to see the one-eyed old man before he spurred his horse and galloped to the other courtyard.
Finding the villa empty, Hensheng went to the county government office to look for Chunzhi, only to find the woman he longed for sitting behind her desk.
"Zhenzhen." Perhaps it was the closer he got to home that made him more timid, but Hensheng only called out softly and did not take a step forward.
Su Zhenzhen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she quickly ran down the steps and threw herself into Hensheng's arms.
"You're back." Her voice was filled with joy.
Hensheng raised his hand and pulled the person into his arms, his eyebrows and eyes also beaming.
"Thank you for your hard work while I was away. I heard the battle of Yangcheng was very fierce."
How could it not be a brutal battle? Ten thousand defenders faced fifty thousand enemy troops. Besides the main battlefield at the north gate, the other three gates were also besieged by enemy forces. It's fair to say that the enemy never intended for anyone in the city to leave alive.
If it weren't for the 30,000 reinforcements from Shanxian County, and Chunzhi's unwavering determination to defend the city, Yangcheng would have been renamed long ago by the time Hensheng returned.
"Fortunately, it's all in the past. But there's something I need you to decide."
Su Zhenzhen revealed the whole story of Chunzhi and Hu Wen's entanglement, as well as how Madam Hu's love turned to hatred and she let the wolf into the house.
“Hu Wen is easy to deal with, but Sister Chunzhi is an elder who has made great contributions. The Northwest Army recognizes her as their general. If the punishment is too severe, the Northwest Army may resent it. If the punishment is too lenient, we will not be able to give the people of Yangcheng an explanation.”
Hensheng took Su Zhenzhen's hand, placed it on his cheek, and gently rubbed it against his chin.
"Sister-in-law Chunzhi fought bravely, which allowed Yangcheng to hold out until the rescue of Shanxian County. Her merits and demerits cancel each other out, so she will neither be rewarded nor punished. As for Hu Wen, his mistreatment of his wife is truly despicable."
Hensheng's eyes were full of dislike for Hu Wen. "However, he has married into a collateral branch of the Jiang family. Even if we don't care about the monk, we should at least consider the Buddha's feelings. Let him stay at home in retirement and never get involved in politics again."
Speaking of Hu Wen, Su Zhenzhen remembered the portrait that Madam Hu had burned.
Because of the love-hate entanglement between the three people, the identity of the sorcerer who extracted Hu Yu'er's soul is still unknown.
"Can you draw?" Su Zhenzhen asked Hensheng. "To draw based on other people's verbal descriptions."
The best way to deal with Hu Wen right now is to use passive-aggressive tactics. If you make him paint, that will be considered a merit, and merit should be rewarded.
Hensheng nodded with a smile, "If you really have a request, I will learn it even if I don't know it."
Su Zhenzhen blushed with embarrassment.
In order to avoid drawing everyone's attention back to the prefect's mansion, Su Zhenzhen climbed over the wall and found Hu Yu'er.
Hu Yu'er, dressed in mourning, kept vigil for Madam Hu.
Madam Hu let the wolf into her house. Although she is pitiful, being pitiful does not mean that she can drag everyone in Yangcheng down with her.
Hu Wen didn't want to handle Madam Hu's funeral, and Hu Yu'er was also afraid of angering the people of Yangcheng. If they did something drastic, the spittle of 200,000 people could crush the coffin.
So they simply left the body at the prefectural governor's residence and waited for forty-nine days before cremating it and burying it in a beautiful, secluded place.
This is Hu Yu'er's idea.
Sadly, Madam Hu's eldest daughter did not return for the funeral, and her only son offered incense before taking his wife and disappearing without a trace.
Madam Hu's death was not unjust. She indirectly caused the deaths of thousands of people, and in the end, she committed suicide to take responsibility. This can be considered as the cause and effect being canceled out. At the same time as her physical body died, her soul was included in the cycle of reincarnation.
Hu Yu'er has witnessed too much joy and sorrow in the world. Before, as a soul, she was an outsider watching the play. Now, as a human being and a child, she realizes that the cause and effect of the world cannot be simply explained by right and wrong.
“I’ll go with you and draw a picture of that sorcerer. You can take my nominal husband with you too. I suddenly feel that being a person is quite troublesome. Having a child doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have someone to accompany you in your old age; there might even be more worries.” This was what Hu Yu’er said to Su Zhenzhen the moment she saw her.
Yes, it's hard to be a person. Life is full of ups and downs, and we are constrained by all sorts of rules and regulations.
But the souls wanted to be reborn as humans, and the demons also wanted to cultivate into humans.
While temporary splendor may be wonderful, it requires sacrificing freedom and enduring all the joys and sorrows of life.
Su Zhenzhen felt that if she had a choice, she wouldn't want any of the flavors of life.
She wants to be above the nine heavens and six realms, coldly watching the world's changing winds and clouds, the ebb and flow of tides, the blooming and withering of flowers, while I sit alone on the high platform.
However, when Su Zhenzhen's Dao heart met the affectionate gaze of the immortal-like man, it instantly collapsed into ruins.
Since I've already entered this game, I'll temporarily indulge in a fleeting, dreamlike existence.
In dreams, right and wrong are not questioned, only the present moment matters. Upon waking, when the world returns to its mortal realm, the causes and effects of past lives are forgotten.
"Zhenzhen, I've finished drawing." Hensheng looked over with a smile, his eyes as gentle as a breeze and the bright moon.
Hu Yu'er, being very perceptive, quietly slipped out of the door, and no one knew where she went.
Su Zhenzhen glanced at the painting and was so surprised that she didn't know what to say.
Calligraphy and painting are inseparable; having read extensively, one's painting skills are unlikely to be lacking.
But Su Zhenzhen did not expect Hensheng's painting to be so lifelike.
The person in the painting is charming and adorable, with a baby face and a Taoist-style bun hairstyle. She wears a plain-colored cross-collar robe and looks quite young, yet her every move exudes a mature and composed air. Although it is clearly a static portrait, the person in the painting is so lifelike that she seems about to leap off the paper at any moment.
The painting that Hensheng created perfectly captured Su Zhenzhen's appearance at their first meeting.
Su Zhenzhen felt incredibly happy inside, but she still said one thing and meant another.
"Didn't I tell you to draw that sorcerer?"
Hensheng smiled faintly and did not answer, but simply reached out and gently lifted the lid, revealing another painting underneath.
To be able to draw two sketches so quickly, using a brush, Hensheng's drawing skills must be off the charts.
The other painting is not as lifelike, probably because the artist never saw the real thing, but it's enough to find the person.
The person in the painting sits in a side room, surrounded by the aroma of tea, displaying the demeanor of a scion of a noble family. However, the person is dressed in a drab gray robe, exuding an aura of death.
Su Zhenzhen frowned slightly. This person...
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