Upon hearing the man's words, little Maurice didn't want to hear his explanation at all; he just kept questioning the man relentlessly.
"Then why don't you send me away? Why send your sister to some village outside the capital? Do you think I don't know what's going on there? People there can't even support themselves, how could they possibly adopt such a young girl? You're sending your sister to be someone's child bride, aren't you! You're treating your sister like a commodity!"
As soon as he finished speaking, little Maurice tried to snatch the girl from the man's arms, but unfortunately, he was just a child and no match for an adult man.
As expected, just as she rushed up to the man and tried to snatch the girl from his arms, he simply raised his hand and gently pushed her, causing little Maurice to fall to the ground.
Before little Maurice could get up, the man quickly walked out of the room, locked the door, and hurried away from the dilapidated house.
All that remained was little Morris, who kept banging on the door and roaring angrily.
"You bastard! You can't send my sister away!"
The man holding the girl in his arms ignored little Maurice's angry roar behind him, and didn't even look back. He simply disappeared quickly from little Maurice's sight as he peered through the crack in the door.
Once the man's figure had completely disappeared from sight, little Morris stopped banging on the door, then plopped down on the floor, his face showing anger and resentment.
Tears streamed down his face, falling steadily to the ground.
Whether out of guilt or resentment, little Maurice kept repeating the same sentence.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, I didn't protect my sister. If I had power, you wouldn't have left me, no one would be starving, and no one would be trading their children like commodities..."
At this moment, while still a child, Maurice harbored a budding ambition for power.
Yes, he did it. He succeeded. He is now the Imperial Marshal. No one can command him except the Emperor. He holds the lives and deaths of countless people in his hands. Even a single order from him can mobilize hundreds of thousands of Imperial troops.
But what good did it do? In the end, he still failed to protect his sister, and his sister died at the hands of the emperor he respected most.
He did not fulfill his childhood promise, and his sister also left him, forever.
At this moment, only Marshal Maurice remained in the small office, his eyes glazed over as he stared blankly at the photograph in his hand, which was covered with teardrops.
He cried. This was the first time Marshal Maurice had shed tears since becoming a marshal. At this moment, all that remained in his mind was the image of Zhao Li, dressed in a dark green military uniform, full of spirit and elegance.
At this moment, Gu Changqing, the emperor, intelligence, and mission were all forgotten. All he wanted now was a quiet space to vent his emotions.
After an unknown amount of time, Marshal Maurice put the photograph in his pocket.
His eyes were no longer the same as before, but instead bright and resolute. He gently wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of his eyes, then opened the chat box of the Minister of Rites on the communicator and sent a message.
"Have someone arrange Princess Zhao Li's funeral. This is an order from His Majesty the Emperor. Get it done as soon as possible."
He then disregarded his image and simply lay down on the cold floor of the office.
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