Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress
Chapter 797 - 794: Hero_1

Chapter 797: Chapter 794: Hero_1

The Emperor of Liang widened his eyes. His heart, which had almost leaped out of his throat, finally settled. His anger became even more uncontrollable.

"Good! You still have the gall to play dead here with me! I’m not dead yet! You want to rule this country already? Is this how afraid you are of Jin? Where is your Liang backbone?!"

The Emperor of Liang slapped the table repeatedly in fury and shouted, "Don’t stop him! Let him ram his head! Do it now! I want to see if he dares, if he’s doing it to step on my face for his fame, or if he’s truly a loyal minister!"

"Calm down, Your Majesty!" The old Prime Minister once again kowtowed, pleading for the Emperor to calm down.

"A useless fool who’s been a coward for so many years dares to play dead! Do you want to be a loyal minister fishing for fame, or do you want to replace me?! If you want to replace me, you should take a sword and kill me swiftly! Why bother with this dead act to win the hearts of the court officials!"

The Third Prince, with blood all over his face, suddenly looked up. He thought that by dying, he could awaken his father’s reason with his own blood. But his father called him a useless coward and said his death act was all for show, to win the hearts of others.

The Third Prince’s eyes filled with tears. He bit his teeth hard and remained silent. He accepted his father’s baseless accusations and closed his desperate eyes.

"Calm down, Your Majesty!"

The court officials knelt one after another, pleading for the Emperor of Liang to calm down.

"The Emperor of Jin builds his Nine-Layer Pavilion, and there’s no downfall! For me to avenge Qiheng, it would lead to downfall?! This is my country! It’s not yours yet!" The Emperor of Liang pointed fiercely at the Third Prince. His face turned a different color with rage. "I’ll do things the way I want! It’s not your place to tell me! If you want to rule, wait until I die and you take the throne!"

"Calm down, Your Majesty! The Third Prince would never have such intentions! Please, Your Majesty, forgive the Third Prince!" The old Prime Minister of Liang, with his head banging loudly against the floor, begged for the Emperor’s mercy.

"Old Prime Minister, you stand up!" The Emperor of Liang’s expression softened slightly. However, he was still stifled with anger and turned to rage at the Third Prince again. "I initially did not want to use Zhao Sheng. But you vouched with your head to let Zhao Sheng lead the Zhao army to battle. And now, Zhao Sheng has defected with the Zhao army to Jin. This is the good commander you recommended!"

The Emperor of Liang clenched his teeth and threw the document in his hand at the Third Prince: "If you were not my son, do you think you could keep your head on your shoulders?! Your life would have been gone long ago. Yet here you are, performing the dead act with me!"

The Emperor of Liang stormed off again, and a group of officials hurried to help the Third Prince up.

The old Prime Minister looked at the Third Prince’s bloodstained face and quickly took out a handkerchief to press on his head wound. He said with deep concern, "Why must you do this, Third Prince? His Majesty has always preferred gentle persuasion over force. By doing this, you are only harming yourself."

The old Prime Minister genuinely felt sorry for the Third Prince. Although the Third Prince was mediocre and devoid of great talent, he was truly loyal to the country.

Otherwise, with his timid and fearful character, how would he dare to go against the imperial wrath and plead for the people time and again in court?

The Third Prince raised his hand to press on the handkerchief and thanked the court officials. Yet, the usual emotion in his eyes was gone, replaced by a calmness, like a pool of dead water.

The next day, the Third Prince claimed illness and did not attend court. Some officials went to visit him at his residence, but he refused to see them. It seemed he had made up his mind not to participate in court affairs any longer. He stayed behind closed doors to recuperate.

·

After rescuing Zhao Sheng’s mother, wife, and brothers, the Bai family guards split into two groups. One group, driving a carriage marked with the Zhao family crest, headed north. After leaving the city, they abandoned the carriage and raced day and night toward Liuzhou City. They finally reached the Jin Army camp on November 20, bringing with them a letter written by Zhao Sheng’s mother and some keepsakes.

When Zhao Ran had earlier come to Zhao Sheng for keepsakes, saying that the Princess of Zhen wanted people to save his family from Hancheng before news of Zhao Sheng’s defection to Jin reached the capital of Daliang, Zhao Sheng did not hold much hope. He had never expected that the people of the Princess of Zhen would actually save his entire family.

Cai Ziyuan felt that Bai Qingyan’s move was indeed brilliant. It not only gained Zhao Sheng’s gratitude but also seized his weakness and controlled him.

Previously, Cai Ziyuan had worried that Bai Qingyan might find it difficult to manage the fierce general Zhao Sheng of Liang. If Bai Qingyan held Zhao Sheng’s entire family in her hands, she need not fear that Zhao Sheng’s surrender was merely a ruse, only for him to turn and betray her later.

Zhao Sheng was indeed grateful to Bai Qingyan. After solemnly bowing and thanking her, to show his genuine loyalty, Zhao Sheng opened his mother’s handwritten letter in front of Bai Qingyan.

Madam Zhao wrote in the letter that no matter what Zhao Sheng decided, she believed in him because she knew he was someone with the people in his heart. If it was something harmful to the people, he would rather die than do it. She asked Zhao Sheng not to worry, that the Zhao family would never become a burden to him.

Madam Zhao’s words had two meanings. One, she believed that Zhao Sheng would not betray the people of Daliang. Two, if the day ever came when the Princess of Zhen used the family to threaten Zhao Sheng, Madam Zhao would lead the family to their end and never let them become leverage.

Cai Ziyuan’s eyebrows twitched. He hadn’t expected Madam Zhao to be so resolute.

After Zhao Sheng finished reading the letter, tears streamed down his face. Bai Qingyan was also deeply moved by Madam Zhao’s determination. He said, "Madam Zhao is a true hero!"

Zhao Sheng choked and gritted his teeth, bowing deeply to Bai Qingyan: "I have no second thoughts about following the Princess of Zhen. I wish... to create a peaceful era with the Princess of Zhen!"

"Bai Qingyan will do her utmost to let General Zhao see that day within her lifetime!" Bai Qingyan straightened her back and vowed.

·

Ever since he saw Zhao Sheng under the Liuzhou City walls, Yang Wuce had fallen into great conflict.

He wanted to become a meritorious officiant, credited with bringing peace to the land. Yet, he did not want to gain the reputation of a traitor. Even though his subordinates expressed their willingness to follow Yang Wuce to death, he remained in a dilemma.

News of Yan repeatedly capturing several cities of the Wei Kingdom continued to arrive. There were even rumors that Wei had sent envoys to seek peace, which Yan rejected, stating that the war was initiated by Wei. During the battle, Wei dared to coerce Xiliang into attacking the Yan Kingdom, severely injuring Emperor Yan. Not destroying Wei would not quench the vengeance of Yan.

Clearly, Yan was determined to eliminate Wei this time, laying the foundation for future unification of the world.

Every time Yang Wuce received war reports of Yan and Wei, he could not remain calm. Yet, he forced himself to stay calm, worrying that he could not bear the name of a traitor.

If the Jin Kingdom attacked and captured Liuzhou City, and he was forced to surrender to Jin, it would have been as if fate had decided for him. But nearly a month had passed, and Jin set up camp at the Qingxi Mountain Pass, with no intention of attacking the city.