Seeing the Empress's determined attitude, the Emperor immediately sensed something was amiss. Perhaps she had encountered some difficulty that forced her to release the person. Given her affection for the Crown Prince, how could she possibly let go of anyone who had harmed him?
The Emperor knew her life had been difficult recently. Her son had just passed away, and her father was poisoned and reportedly had little time left. If she were pushed too far, who knew what she might conspire with the Xu family to do?
Although the Xu family had been keeping a low profile lately, their foundation remained. If they joined forces, they might not be able to overthrow the court, but they could certainly inflict significant damage. Furthermore, a cornered dog would leap over a wall; if other imperial princes were harmed, there would be no one to weep to.
The Emperor nodded, and the Empress breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether the Emperor suspected anything, she had to get Li Shengxu released first and then save her father. They would deal with future matters later.
Li Shengxu was still young, and she had plenty of opportunities for revenge. Besides, her son was already dead; the living were more important. Only with her father alive could she better avenge her son. However, she wondered if Wu Caiwei was truly as miraculous as she claimed.
Stepping out of the prison, Li Shengxu still found it hard to believe that he had reached this point. He was truly grateful to Wu Caiwei from the bottom of his heart. Yet, outside the gates, he didn't know where to go. Finally, he resolutely set off towards the village he longed for, wondering if his parents would recognize him, if they were still alive, and how they were.
He was already gravely ill, and usually, even walking a short distance would leave him breathless. But this time, with every step, he felt an unusual sense of freshness. The air outside was free, the sunlight warm, and even the flowers, grass, and trees by the roadside looked particularly pleasing. As he entered the village, he heard exclamations.
"Oh my god, isn't that Li Shengxu, the son of the Li family?"
"Where? Let me see. It is him! We used to go to the city to work together, always leaving and returning as a pair."
"He's still alive? The village chief will be overjoyed to know."
Listening to the villagers' discussions, Li Shengxu felt relieved. No matter what, his father being alive was the best outcome for him. Even if his father had minor health issues, he believed that with Wu Caiwei and himself, they could cure him.
"Village Chief, Village Chief, your son is back..." A slightly younger child couldn't help but shout excitedly, running towards the house Li Shengxu remembered.
In a short while, his parents came running, their bodies trembling, weeping as they called out, "My son is back, where is my son..."
The tears Li Shengxu had held back for so long instantly fell. He stepped forward excitedly, clasped their hands tightly, and then knelt on the ground, ignoring their attempts to stop him, and kowtowed several times.
"Father, Mother, I'm sorry," Li Shengxu cried uncontrollably.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. We thought we'd never see you again." The village chief slowly helped his son up and excitedly pulled him towards their home. The villagers who heard the commotion had come out to watch. After greeting the village chief, they looked at Li Shengxu with curiosity.
They wondered where he had gone all these years. They clearly remembered him; he was a good child in their eyes. When the village chief told him to study, he studied diligently. When asked to work in the city, he did so. The change occurred the year his fiancée disappeared. Everyone said Liu Qingqing must have done something to betray him, causing him to lose his senses and leave in shame.
At first, the village chief's family didn't believe it. Based on their understanding of their son, although he was anxious and constantly searched for Liu Qingqing, he didn't take it too much to heart. Their relationship was rather distant. But eventually, he too disappeared and didn't return for so many years, which made the village chief think.
He was literate and had worked in the capital for so many years, seeing the world. If he could, he wouldn't have stayed away. Although he didn't say it openly, he secretly resented the Liu family. For years, he had suppressed them overtly and covertly. He never expected his son to return one day. He secretly wiped away tears when no one was looking.
Returning to the home he had longed for, Li Shengxu couldn't help but look around. He noticed that the living conditions at home were slightly better than when he left, but it was still poor.
The village chief, knowing his son was curious about the family's situation, pulled him inside. He declined everyone's concern and began to talk about their circumstances. He explained that when Li Shengxu first disappeared, the family had spent a large sum of silver to hire people to search for him, but all their efforts were in vain. Later, seeing that he was truly unfindable and not knowing where to look in the vast world, they gave up.
However, the Li family brothers would still inquire whenever they met someone while going out. For some reason, the Li family brothers, who had been working well in the capital, were all dismissed. Furthermore, when they tried to find work in the capital, no one hired them. In desperation, they had to leave the capital and sought a living in the nearby city of Dancheng.
This was why he hadn't seen his brothers for so long. They had wanted to bring their parents to live with them, but the elders were reluctant to leave. Besides, they were strangers in that place, and survival would be extremely difficult. Their sons had no property for the first few years. Only in recent years had they earned a little money and just acquired property. With many children, their lives were not affluent, and they didn't want to burden them. In this village, he was, after all, the village chief and had some authority. Moreover, the pull of one's homeland was strong. They didn't know how long they would live and wanted to wait here for their son's return. They feared that if he returned and couldn't find his parents, he wouldn't know where to search for them.
So many years had passed, and he thought he would never see his son again. He never expected him to actually return.
After learning about the family's situation, Father Li quickly asked where he had been all these years. When he heard that his son had been abducted because he bore a striking resemblance to someone else and was forced to impersonate them, his eyes widened.
"Where... where is that family?" Seeing his parents' anxious expressions, Li Shengxu immediately noticed something was wrong. Could he really be a member of the royal family? Otherwise, why would he resemble that person so much? He just didn't know how he ended up with the Li family.
"I'm not your parents' child?" He deliberately avoided their questions and voiced his own doubts.
The village chief exchanged a look with his wife and, after a moment of hesitation, sighed. He told him the truth. If his son hadn't told him that he had been abducted and was in danger, he would have taken these secrets to his grave and let him live his life as a commoner.
It turned out that the village chief was just a hardworking young man from the countryside in those days. His father was the former village chief, and their family's living conditions were decent. One time, when he went out, he offended an official and was almost taken to prison. Lacking any backing, he was terrified. It was a passing young lady who saved him.