Thinking of her Jiujiu, who was no longer alive, her heart ached as if cut by a knife, yet she dared not speak, nor could she.
The people at home would find out that this was not the real Jiujiu, and she did not know if they would be able to withstand it or accept this Jiujiu?
Secondly, she remembered what her mother told her as a child, about a woman in the village who suddenly became different from before and was taken by her family to the Clan Leader, branded as possessed by a wandering ghost. The whole clan agreed to burn the woman alive, and just as they were about to set fire, the woman died.
If people knew this Jiujiu was possessed by another soul, the villagers would definitely burn her alive just like that woman.
Her Jiujiu was no more, and she could not let the person whose soul had taken residence in her Jiujiu’s body be burned alive by the villagers like that woman.
Thirdly, this Jiujiu was exceptionally kind to the family, healed her older brother’s leg, nursed her sister-in-law back to health, strived to lead the family to a better life, taught her nephews and sons to succeed, helped them marry good wives, and have well-behaved grand-nephews and grandsons. She could feel this Jiujiu’s sincerity; wasn’t this Jiujiu the same as her own family’s Jiujiu?
The main reason was that she feared once she revealed the truth, this Jiujiu would have to leave them. She had already lost her Jiujiu and did not want to lose this one as well.
Therefore, she kept this secret deep in her heart, not even telling her husband. Instead, she unanimously agreed with the family, telling others that Old Man Wuwei had cured Jiujiu of her foolishness and taught her so much. In her heart, there was only one thought—this Jiujiu was her Jiujiu, and would always be their Jiujiu for a lifetime!
It was detestable that some people actually called Jiujiu a monster and wanted to force her to her death—she would never agree!
"Mother!" Yang Mengchen threw herself into Shen Qiulan’s arms, her voice choked with gratitude, and tears fell persistently.
These days though she appeared nonchalant on the surface, no one knew how lost and anxious she felt inside. She had built up the courage several times to come clean to her mother and brothers, but in the end, she hesitated due to many considerations.
Now, having heard her mother’s words, her worried heart calmed down, replaced by intense emotion and happiness. She would cherish this affection.
Gently holding her daughter, Shen Qiulan’s eyes reddened, and tears silently slid down her cheeks—this was the daughter she had given birth to after ten months of pregnancy!
After a moment, Shen Qiulan gently released Yang Mengchen, took out a handkerchief to gently wipe away the tears on her face, and dabbed her own eyes: "You must not cry when you are pregnant, or the child will also be a crybaby."
"I’ll listen to Mother and not cry," said Yang Mengchen, breaking into a smile through her tears. freёwebnovel.com
Shen Qiulan smiled affectionately and nodded, "Your grandparents were very worried about you. If circumstances had allowed, they would have undoubtedly rushed to The Capital to be with you. Your grandfather sent word to say that you are a scion of the Yang family and that no one should question that. He told you not to listen to those people’s nonsense, lest you get hurt yourself!"
"Mmm," Yang Mengchen murmured softly, leaning on Shen Qiulan’s shoulder, grateful to the heavens—no, she should thank her master for giving her such a wonderful family.
Mother and daughter were nestled together, looking every bit the biological mother and daughter, with a strong sense of affection enveloping them both.
Seeing the situation turning against them, the Rebel Army even sent a letter to the Emperor and publicly proclaimed that as long as Yang Mengchen, the "monster," was eliminated, and Prince Jing along with Long Yisi were released, they would immediately withdraw their troops and prevent the scourge of war.
Sister Jin and the others were furious beyond measure. After all this time, those rebels still harbored their vile intentions—it was utterly mad. Some cowardly officials would likely submit memorials, asking the Emperor to acquiesce to the Rebel Army’s demands, for after all, no one wanted to see innocent lives lost to war.
Yang Mengchen elegantly sipped her tea, her expression serenely calm.
Not to mention that Wende would stand up for her against the storm, just her problem-solving for the Emperor and the strong public favor she had garnered made it impossible for the Emperor to sacrifice her, especially with the powerful backing of Qing’an Country.
Setting these reasons aside, as long as her family stood by her side forever, she had enough courage and confidence to face all adversities and obstacles.
As expected by Sister Jin and the others, some officials indeed presented memorials, pleading with the Emperor to fulfill the Rebel Army’s wishes, to kill Yang Mengchen or hand her over to the Rebel Army, and to release Prince Jing and Long Yisi. Doing so would leave the Rebel Army without excuses to cause chaos, or they would be spurned by all under heaven.
The Emperor was immediately enraged and ordered the execution of the officials who had presented the memorials. He also had Prince Jing and Long Yisi thrown into the Sky Prison.
The court was divided into three factions: one neutral, one advocating the extermination of the Rebels, and one seeking the death of Yang Mengchen.
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