Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 823: Chapter 823: Sisi Enters the Palace Again!
 

Atop the ramparts of Xiangzhou City.

Nan Tianzong stood with his hands clasped behind him, gazing out at the desolate scene below.

After three months of siege, Xiangzhou City was finally breached today; within and without the city walls, remnants of the flames of war and gunpowder lingered, along with the corpses and wreckage strewn everywhere, and countless subordinates hurriedly tidying up the aftermath before their eyes.

Although the faces of everyone bore the joy of victory, such sights sent his heart sinking to the depths, piercingly cold!

“Crown Prince, it’s windy atop the city wall, and it’s already quite late at this moment. Why not return to the City Lord’s Mansion and rest for a while?”

The one who spoke was the great general beside him, Thirteen, an elder who had followed him for many years.

Thirteen, a woman who stood equal to men, was originally one of the five Chiefs of the Li Sect. Over the years, she had accompanied Nan Tianzong in his campaigns, always taking great care of him.

Nan Tianzong turned his head slightly and, noticing it was Thirteen, directed his gaze back over the inside and outside of the city walls, his tone steeped in exhaustion.

“So it’s Thirteen who has arrived. How is the situation down in South City?”

Thirteen exchanged a glance with General Zhu beside her before she spoke.

“Your Highness, please rest assured! General Wang has already led a troop to pursue them. Before daybreak, we will surely capture Prince Xiangyang alive!”

“I hope so.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝονǤο.ƈ0

Nan Tianzong didn’t say more, still silently gazing at the distant view in the night sky.

Seeing that the situation was not right, General Zhu gestured to Thirteen with his eyes. Thirteen, maintaining an attitude of focused calm, said nothing.

General Zhu had no choice but to step forward himself, “Your Highness, the brothers ahead are all waiting for you! The celebration banquet will lose much of its luster without you. Please consider…”

“Celebration banquet? Ha! What joy is there to celebrate in killing one’s own kin?”

Nan Tianzong closed his eyes in pain.

Thirteen and General Zhu stood silently as well.

After a long while, he reopened his eyes and sighed deeply, “Has there been any news from Sisi’s side?”

“A pigeon arrived at dusk with news that the son-in-law had safely reached the capital city and has been conferred the title of Marquis Yongping by His Majesty. As for the miss, there has been no new information.”

The person who responded was Thirteen, whose mention of the son-in-law naturally referred to Di Yelei.

“Hmm, it takes a few days for a pigeon to travel from the capital city to here. It seems they have already met by now… that’s good! As long as Sisi is safe, it relieves a great burden from my mind. From this day forth, I really want to see what excuses that one will find to trouble me, hahaha…”

Nan Tianzong suddenly burst out laughing, his laughter echoing far from the city wall.

The soldiers cleaning the battlefield below, upon hearing this, were greatly inspired. They shouted in unison!

“Your Highness! Your Highness! Your Highness! Your Highness!…”

Thirteen and General Zhu both quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Could this be a blessing in disguise?

After finally containing his laughter, Nan Tianzong fell silent for a long while before looking up again.

“Did that man have any other orders?”

The ‘man’ he referenced was naturally Zhao Jiong.

Thirteen quickly stepped forward, “His Majesty has decreed that after taking Xiangzhou City, we are to march north and strike directly at Bianliang!”

“Haha! He is still dreaming of unifying the world. So be it!”

Nan Tianzong often sighed, “Only those who stand higher fall harder! I want to see what kind of spectacle it will be when he falls from his lofty perch. General Zhu, issue the orders! Let the army rest in Xiangzhou City for one month, and once the grain and grass are fully stocked, we march north to Bianliang, striking straight at the enemy’s lair.”

Zhao Dun, oh Zhao Dun, If you’re seeking your own death, don’t blame me for adding fuel to the fire!

Inside the Palace.

The details of the battle at Xiangzhou City had not arrived, when Liu Sisi and Di Yelei, along with another, burst straight into His Majesty’s sleeping palace.

It was quiet within the sleeping palace, and they didn’t see the familiar figure of Eunuch Xiao, but instead two unfamiliar little eunuchs were attending to the front of His Majesty’s dragon couch. Seeing the three bursting in, both eunuchs quickly knelt and paid their respects.

“This slave pays respects to Princess Ruyu! To Marquis Yongping! To Immortal Chief.”

At the moment, the three who had entered the sleeping palace had no time to deal with the two little eunuchs, instead focusing their gaze upon the dragon couch.

There, Zhao Yuanlang lay quietly supine, his cheeks noticeably gaunt and his eyes surrounded by a dark hue. If not for his chest, which still rose and fell occasionally, one would not realize that he was still alive.

In just a short span of three days, he had changed to such a state!

Liu Sisi would not believe for a moment that there wasn’t some scheming behind this, even if someone beat her to death!

“Father Emperor! Father Emperor!”

Liu Sisi called out softly, kneeling and inching her way closer to the dragon couch. “Father Emperor, it is Ruyu who has come to see you. Father Emperor, can you hear Ruyu speaking?”

Although she had not spent much time with Zhao Yuanlang, Liu Sisi understood from his sincere gaze that he truly cherished her like a daughter.

Remembering her birth mother whom she had never met, her birth father who was lying on the dragon couch with an uncertain fate and also recalling her own parents in her previous life who had perished in a car accident, Liu Sisi could no longer hold back her tears which fell in torrents.

“Father Emperor! Can you hear Ruyu speaking? Father Emperor! Father…”

Kneeling, she reached out and gently held Zhao Yuanlang’s hand, choking with sobs.

Di Yelei and Taoist Master Zhu knelt a few feet away, exchanging a silent glance, both wearing an expression of deep sorrow.

The two eunuchs attending to the side promptly stepped forward, quietly comforting Liu Sisi.

“Princess Ruyu! Please take care of your precious self. If His Majesty were aware, he would surely be pained and unwilling to see the Princess so heartbroken. Please, no more tears!”

Amidst speaking, they sent meaningful looks towards the palace maids nearby.

The palace maids quickly came forward, one on each side, helping Liu Sisi to rise.

Liu Sisi sobbed loudly, clutching Zhao Yuanlang’s hand tightly, refusing to let go, but she was forcefully pulled away by two palace maids.

The two eunuchs hurried forward to console Liu Sisi, “Princess Ruyu, His Majesty requires tranquility for his recovery. Please, no more crying. If His Majesty were startled, that would be disastrous.”

These words halted Liu Sisi’s crying. She covered her eyes and wept silently for a while, before wiping away her tears.

She moved to a side palace to rest temporarily. “To the two eunuchs, what has the Imperial Physician said about Father Emperor’s illness?”

“Replying to Princess Ruyu, the Imperial Physician mentioned that His Majesty’s illness has been triggered by excessive fatigue, activating an old ailment. That’s why the illness has been so aggressive. Presently, the Imperial Physician has prescribed strong medicine, stressing that the most critical thing is for His Majesty to rest quietly without any strain.”

“How can he strain himself in a comatose state? The Imperial Physician’s words are indeed clever,” Liu Sisi said lightly, glancing at Di Yelei and Taoist Master Zhu beside her, before continuing to inquire, “Eunuchs, did the Imperial Physician predict when His Majesty might awaken?”