Chapter 909: Chapter 909: mories of Ho
The news of Nan Tianzong’s death reached Gongzhou City. Zhao Dun, who had been full of vigor and fantasizing about continuing his military campaigns and expanding his territory, was utterly stunned.
He collapsed onto the dragon chair, speechless for a long ti.
For three days and nights, he locked himself alone in the sleeping palace, neither eating nor drinking.
The entire city quickly dressed in plain mourning clothes, with the people donning white and lanting the sudden death of Highness Zhao Heng.
When Zhao Dun reappeared in front of everyone three days later, his eyes were bloodshot, and he seed even more deranged than during his previous bout of insanity.
As soon as he appeared, he ordered Madam Thirteen to take the lead as the general, directing the remaining hundred thousand troops to strike directly at Bianliang City. He also dispatched thirty thousand troops straight to Macheng County, commanding everyone to dig up the Di Family’s ancestral grave and execute all related to the Di Family.
He had gone mad! The actions he took were more terrifying and more bloody than when he had been insane before. Human lives ant less to him than chickens, ducks, or even dogs.
However, before his plans could be successfully implented, Di Yelei and Marquis Yongwu led a hundred thousand soldiers each, killing their way along the route and reclaiming vast stretches of lost land.
Three months later, the army led by Di Yelei as the main commander quickly reached the gates of Gongzhou City.
Thereafter, a protracted tug-of-war began.
Half a year later, Gongzhou City, touted as impregnable, was breached by artillery fire, creating a massive gap, and combat soon spread within the city. The battle continued for a long ti, and the short-lived “Zhao” kingdom, existing for only seven years, was eradicated with the capture of Zhao Dun.
When the news of the final victory reached the capital city, Liu Sisi was carefully checking the account book in her hands.
Hearing Zuo Xingyu report with a face beaming with joy, she casually put down the account book and smiled!
It has finally co to a sweet end! She thought about her hotown and how it was faring now, especially at tis like these, when the yearning for her place of birth grew even stronger.
Now, in the bloom of spring, after two winters of cultivation and recovery, the sale of vegetables grown in the greenhouse had been very good, earning Liu Sisi a handso profit. The shop that originally sold off-season vegetables expanded from one to dozens scattered along various avenues.
The few dowry shops entrusted to Liu Sisi by His Majesty also produced a substantial amount, and together with the silver from the gold mines, they were incessantly delivered into the hands of the soldiers as their grain and salary.
Zhao Yuanlang, who originally harbored prejudice against the Di Family, gradually relaxed and withdrew the pervasive surveillance.
This sword that had always been suspended over everyone’s heads had just been removed for a few months, only to be suspended once again over the heads of the Di Family’s mbers due to Di Yelei escorting the war captives to the capital.
“News has already co from up ahead; the troop presenting the captives will reach the city in at most seven days. By then, His Majesty will personally go to the ten miles of pavilion to welco Third Brother and the others into the palace.”
Di Hongyuan, who had just retired before the new year, spoke.
Although he was not yet sixty, he looked extrely worn and aged, appearing as though he was an old man in his seventies or eighties. His Majesty had initially not agreed to Di Hongyuan’s retirent, but Di Hongyuan had moved him with emotion, also bringing up his injuries from years past.
“…When I encountered the mountain bandits, I, the minor official, was still young. Not only did the bandits take away my possessions, but they also stripped of my clothes and left in the snowy wilderness. Because of the severe cold, I, the minor official, also lost certain abilities. My body has been plagued by illness for a long ti, and I truly cannot continue to serve His Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will fulfill my wish.”
Once Di Hongyuan had finished speaking, he knelt on the ground and gave several deep kowtows.
Seeing the aged Di Hongyuan before him, and thinking of his impotence, His Majesty finally acquiesced.
“Back in the day, you all were old folks who followed for many years. Alas, ti spares no one. Not just you, even I, this old bone, am also quite frail. Enough, enough! Since you, Courtier, wholeheartedly wish to resign from your post, I shall grant it. As for returning ho… I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a bit longer.”
The Di Family’s hotown was in Gongzhou.
Nowadays, although Gongzhou City has been reclaid, it is in a state of complete disrepair and not readily habitable again.
“I thank His Majesty for his grace.”
Di Hongyuan once again prostrated himself and heavily kowtowed three tis before retreating.
Recalling the expression on His Majesty’s face at that mont still made Di Hongyuan’s heart pound with anxiety. Could there be so trouble brewing again?
“Since there are still seven days to go, we should prepare the necessary manpower in advance, and where silver needs to be spent, it must be used. With people, money can be made, but if there are no people, what use is there for silver?”
Liu Sisi spoke with great emphasis and concern.
She still vividly rembered the year Di Yelei triumphantly returned to the capital after his victory. His Majesty had also said he would go to the ten miles of pavilion to welco Di Yelei, but in the end, under the persuasion of the entire civil and military assembly, it never ca to pass. She wondered whether it would co to pass this ti.
Di Hongyuan nodded repeatedly, his eyes crinkling into a smile, “Princess, rest assured, all is ready but for the east wind! All the manpower arrangents have been made, and even those not planned for have been seamlessly fit in. I hope all our worries are unfounded and that everything will proceed smoothly and auspiciously.”
“Well said, Eldest Uncle!”
Liu Sisi laughed once more, her heart sweet as honey at the thought of seeing him again soon.
“Once the matters here are settled, we’ll return to our hotown in Gongzhou. We’ll stay there for a while before anything else.”
She would not forget Zhao Dun’s deranged idea of desecrating the Di family ancestor’s grave and his intentions to crush their bones and scatter their ashes.
One can play the thief for a thousand days, but one can’t guard against a thief for a thousand days.
Di Hongyuan, too, was cheered by her words.
“I have been eager to return for a long ti, but His Majesty has been delaying our release. However, with Third Brother escorting Zhao Dun to the capital this ti, hopefully, His Majesty will agree to let us go.”
“If only it could be so,”
Liu Sisi forced a smile. Zhao Yuanlang was becoming increasingly capricious; she herself didn’t even have the heart to believe that they would be allowed to return to Gongzhou.
“Let’s prepare early and not be stingy with silver. We don’t want to have regrets at the last mont.”
After finalizing their plans, everyone hurried off to make preparations.
Standing at the window, Liu Sisi watched the spring breeze sway the willow trees outside, feeling the heavy rocks that had been weighing on her finally lifting sowhat.
Hopefully, nothing would go wrong.
“Mom! Mom, I’m back, Mom!”
A joyful call ca from outside; Chou Chou’s voice arrived before he did.
Liu Sisi’s face lit up with joy, and she quickly turned her head to look. Sure enough, Chou Chou was running in with big strides, followed by two attendants.
“Mom, Mom, I heard it outside, they said Dad’s coming back to the capital, and he’s presenting captives, is that true?”
“From whom did you hear this?”
Liu Sisi curiously glanced at the two attendants behind him. She had just learned this news herself; how had Chou Chou co to know it?
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