He lacked the courage to investigate the truth, so Wu Caiwei did it for him. When she learned that Zhang Dashan had taken his two sons to the Northwest and was living in the small mountain village where she and the original owner had lived, she felt it was fate.
To deal with them, Wu Caiwei made a special trip. When she appeared before Zhang Dashan, he pointed at her with trembling fingers, unable to speak for a long time.
"This place is quite good, suitable for burying you all," Wu Caiwei observed, finding it no different from her previous life, except that they now had money and weren't truly destitute.
Zhang Dashan's heart sank. Knowing she was there for revenge, he quickly tried to appease her, "We know we were wrong. No matter what, I am Hesheng's biological father. If you hurt me, Hesheng will be sad. From now on, we'll go our separate ways. I'll never appear before you again. Please, show some mercy."
Wu Caiwei sneered, "Why didn't you think of this earlier? Don't worry, this place is far from Prince Yang's fiefdom. Hesheng stays at home and doesn't go out. He won't get the news of your deaths, nor will he know I was the one who did it."
Every time they wanted to ask her for money, it was their son who went. He tried to avoid direct contact with her because he knew this woman had changed. She was no longer the submissive woman but a female general who could fight on the battlefield and kill without batting an eye. He didn't doubt the truth of her words at all.
Thinking that his entire family was about to die by her sword, he couldn't help but tremble. He pleaded, "A day of marriage is a hundred days of grace. Spare me this once. We've settled here and will never look for Hesheng again."
Wu Caiwei ignored him. She had given them many chances before. If they had seized them, perhaps she might have spared them this time. But not only did they fail to seize the opportunities, they acted contrary to them, trying to reap benefits from others. In that case, she was sorry, but people like them, scum, didn't deserve to live.
Under their terrified gazes, Wu Caiwei drew her sword. Soon, no one remained alive in the house but her. She calmly walked out and set the place ablaze.
Hesheng knew nothing of what happened here. He was still immersed in grief. Thinking that he had treated his father wholeheartedly, only for them to betray him and even conspire with outsiders to tie him up and threaten his mother, he felt disappointed. Recalling his mother's past advice, he regretted how dismissive he had been then. He felt he had no face to see her and thus became a turtle hiding in its shell, reading books when he had nothing else to do.
After Prince Li was defeated, although the Emperor was displeased with their machinations from behind the scenes, he didn't launch further attacks on these feudal lords, creating a sense of impending storm.
Most shocking was that Prince Jin broke this balance first, leading his army out of his fiefdom and engaging with the imperial forces.
Everyone initially disregarded him, considering the harsh and cold conditions of the Northwest, and how elite their troops could be. But to their astonishment, the imperial army suffered repeated defeats. Even with the Emperor's full might, he couldn't stop Prince Jin's march towards the capital.
At first, the court could still cope, but as other feudal lords saw the court's weakness, they began to seize cities. Even with the imperial army's Red Eagle Cannons, they couldn't resist the onslaught of thousands of cavalry.
Five months later, Prince Yang and Prince Jin met outside the capital. Both knew each other's objectives, but at this time, it was a matter of facing a common enemy. They tacitly avoided confrontation and jointly attacked the city.
The two princes had visited the Emperor's grand hall many times, but never with such excitement. The thought of having a chance to ascend to the highest position made their hearts surge with emotion.
Even after the rebels entered the city, the Emperor remained hidden in the Feixian Tower. Eunuchs stood before him, anxiously reporting the latest developments, but the Emperor sat motionless, muttering, "I am the Emperor, the Son of Heaven. No one can take my position from me. The Daoist priest's elixirs will be ready soon. Once I consume the immortal medicine and ascend, I will return to teach them a lesson."
Some quick-witted individuals, hearing the sounds of fighting outside and knowing the tide had turned, quietly slipped away to mingle with the crowd and escape. As for those who were homeless or had followed the Emperor their entire lives, despair set in. Knowing they could not escape their fate, they chose to wait for death there. Sudanglish.com
When Wu Caiwei followed Prince Yang into the Feixian Tower, the Emperor was laughing maniacally. He examined the pills in his hand. Seeing them break in, he quickly stuffed the pills into his mouth, shouting as he ate, "You rebels! When I ascend, I will make you pay."
As soon as he finished speaking, he clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground in pain. Slowly, blood began to stream from his mouth. Everyone watched indifferently.
The majestic Son of Heaven breathed his last breath before the eyes of all, his eyes never closing. He could not comprehend it. Hadn't the Daoist priest said that as long as he consumed this immortal elixir, he would ascend to heaven? Why would he die? He was the Son of Heaven, blessed with eternal life.
No one paid attention to the Emperor lying on the ground. Both princes simultaneously turned their gaze to the dragon throne. They had finally reached this point, with only one step separating them from the throne. Neither was willing to yield. Their subordinates drew their swords, watching each other warily.
Seeing the situation turn tense, Wu Caiwei quickly stepped forward to mediate, "Now is not the time for conflict. If the two princes fight to the death here, someone will surely take advantage, like a mantis stalking a cicada, with a oriole behind. We must not act as a pawn for others."
The two hesitated for a long time. Prince Yang finally waved his hand, signaling his men to lower their weapons. Prince Jin, seeing the sincerity of the other party, followed suit.
Prince Ping, whose army was stationed on the outskirts of the capital, paced anxiously. He had heard that the two princes had entered the city to jointly deal with the Emperor. Both their targets were the dragon throne. After dealing with the Emperor, they would surely fight to the death. He hoped to pick up the spoils and sent people into the city to gather intelligence. However, he had been waiting here for a long time, and the agreed-upon secret signal had not been given. He dared not act rashly. Many other feudal lords shared his thoughts, and thus, armies surrounded the capital from all directions.
Prince Yang and Prince Jin frowned involuntarily as they listened to their subordinates' reports. The current situation was not favorable to them; they were almost surrounded. The thought of how they had almost fought each other brought a sense of lingering fear. He couldn't imagine the dire consequences if an army had broken in while they were locked in a life-and-death struggle.
Prince Jin couldn't help but look at Wu Caiwei a few more times. Besides Madame Chen, there was no one else who could speak with authority in Prince Yang's presence. He had heard rumors about her before and, upon meeting her today, found them to be true. It was a pity that she wasn't on his side. If he had her, he would undoubtedly be even more formidable.