Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 834: Chapter 834: Sisi, I’m here to pick you up!
 

“Father Emperor, you…aren’t you already…”

Zhao Zhen trembled uncontrollably, desperately rubbing his eyes, trying to dispel the illusion before him, but no matter how hard he tried, the figure in front of him still stood there clearly.

“Are you a man or a ghost? Aren’t you already… You daring servant! How dare you deceive me with someone who looks alike. Guards! Seize this imposter at once!”

In just a moment, Zhao Zhen’s mind raced through countless thoughts.

If Father Emperor is indeed still alive, then the so-called bids for the imperial throne by the few princes before… probably…

He gritted his teeth!

Enough, enough! Enough already!

Now it has come to this, it’s either him dead or my demise!

Seeing that the court ministers from both factions didn’t budge, Zhao Zhen fumed, “What are you staring at? Seize this fraud and execute him on the spot!”

As his words fell, the entire court of civil and military officers looked at each other, unsure whether the one before them was truly the “late Emperor.”

Only Zhao Zhen’s supporters quickly stepped out, rushing forward!

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝօνǤο.сο

They reached out to grab Zhao Yuanlang, who stood firm, without the slightest hesitation.

“How daring! Who else dares to act rashly!”

Zhao Yuanlang bellowed!

Years of imposing authority made several elderly ministers’ legs go weak as they prostrated on the ground, chorusing long live the Emperor.

A person’s appearance can be imitated, but this kind of imposing aura cannot be faked by others.

But now the arrow was on the string and had to be shot!

The court ministers supporting Zhao Zhen surged forward quickly and soon attacked near His Majesty. However, they were stopped by several generals behind Zhao Yuanlang.

Soon, a large number of troops poured into the Golden Luance Hall from outside, surrounding the entire court.

And the person leading them was none other than Di Yelei!

Di Yelei, dressed in battle armor and holding a silver spear, stood beside His Majesty. He shook the blood-drenched silver spear, intimidating everyone around.

“His Majesty is here, who dares to act rashly!”

If anyone had held any last hope before, now seeing Di Yelei leading a large contingent of soldiers, it was like a burst balloon—everyone prostrated, frantically kowtowing.

Ever since Di Yelei had safely escorted His Majesty back to the capital and the ‘Hell King Di’ triumphantly returned, the court ministers’ impression of his bravery and skill in battle had deeply penetrated their bones. At the moment they saw it was him, the soldiers’ spirit weakened even before a move was made, shocked by the news that His Majesty was still alive, terrified to the point of wetting themselves, devoid of any will to confront.

Seeing that everyone had knelt down, Di Yelei finally retracted his imposing aura and led the generals behind him to kneel.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, all the forces outside have been completely controlled by us, please instruct us on the next step.”

“Keep a tight watch on the leader of the group!”

Zhao Yuanlang instructed Di Yelei.

“I, your minor official, shall obey the order!”

Di Yelei rose to his feet, once again stood by His Majesty’s side, and gave a nod to the general beside him, who promptly went to carry out the order.

Zhao Yuanlang slowly walked toward the dragon chair, step by step, and stood opposite Zhao Zhen.

Zhao Zhen couldn’t stop trembling all over his body; as he watched Zhao Yuanlang approach, he could no longer care about anything else and, with a thump, knelt down and crawled forward to embrace Zhao Yuanlang’s thighs, crying with a flood of tears and snot.

“Father Emperor! Father Emperor, you are still alive! Your son thought… This is wonderful, truly wonderful! Your son is terrified!”

Zhao Yuanlang looked down upon him from his superior position, his eyes filled with deep disappointment.

“Do you know why, despite your lack of talent in both literature and martial arts, I still left you in the capital city?” Zhao Zhen looked up curiously; he really didn’t know how to answer this question.

Without waiting for his response, Zhao Yuanlang sighed, raised his hand, and gently stroked Zhao Zhen’s head while speaking to himself.

“It is because you have the heart of an innocent child! It doesn’t matter if one’s talents are mediocre; diligence can make up for it. But if one’s heart has gone astray, there is no saving them! Alas, you have taken the wrong path!”

Zhao Zhen finally understood these words; he could no longer care about crying and collapsed onto the ground along Zhao Yuanlang’s thighs, with only one thought echoing in his mind.

It’s all over! Everything is completely over!

–

One month after His Majesty “passed away,” His Majesty returned from death and took his place on the dragon chair once again.

The ministers, who were fence-sitters during the earlier times, suffered terribly; along with the rebels, they were all executed in His Majesty’s sweeping purge.

Outside Wu Gate, the cries were earth-shattering, and the blood flowed like rivers!

Often the severed heads had just fallen to the ground, and before the corpses could be cleared, the next criminals were brought forward.

In this great purge, the Empress along with her brothers from the Yang Family were uprooted, and none of the Yang brothers escaped the fate of death. The remaining family members’ men were exiled to the distant frontiers, sold as government slaves to be bought and sold like cattle; the women were either sent to places of prostitution or to toil in hard labor, condemned to never regain their standing.

Sixth Prince Zhao Xian was dead, his titles stripped by His Majesty and buried in the hills. His family was also sent to their fief.

Thirteenth Prince Zhao Zhen lost his nobility, imprisoned within the prince’s mansion for life, unable to leave. Not long after, it was heard that he contracted a coughing blood disease, and he grew so thin as if he were just skin and bones, living in agony waiting for death to come.

Not long after, it was rumored that the Empress Dowager, who was the former Empress, had accidentally contracted smallpox and was ordered to move into the cold palace, attended only by an old imperial nanny, thus fading from public sight.

The once formidable Yang Family had collapsed thunderously, never to return to its former glory.

–

The sky prison remained forever dark, where one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

Liu Sisi cradled a child with one arm and tapped a rhythm with her hand, gently humming a nursery rhyme to lull the two children to sleep.

In such a place, there was no difference between living a day or two; if there was any benefit, it was that the children seemed to have become more sensible overnight and had become much more obedient.

Suddenly, rapid footsteps sounded from outside the door; then, several torches lit up the surroundings, quickly forming a line in the corridor, moving in unison.

Di Yelei strode from a distance, coming directly to the prison door, smiling while looking at the three family members inside.

Liu Sisi stared blankly at the separated Di Yelei, her mind thundering; she could hear nothing and see nothing else.

“Sisi, I’m sorry for making you suffer; I’m here to take you home!”

Through the prison door, he quietly watched Liu Sisi, who still stood tall even in the sky prison. Tears glistened in her eyes; she wore a faint smile, her lips moved, but before she could speak, tears already flowed.

Her tears seemed to scald the children she held, Niuniu and Chou Chou. Niuniu tilted her head, “Chou Chou, I see Dad coming to take us away; am I dreaming?”

“It must be a dream, because I’m hallucinating too. I not only see the light, but I also see Dad. But why does Dad have so much beard on his face?”