Who Cares

Chapter 62 Surrender

After Old Master Guan washed up, changed his robes and came out, he saw that his son and the emperor were chatting happily. He sat down and listened for a while, his eyes became brighter and brighter, and wanted to say a few words, but then heard a sharp voice from outside the hall, “Reporting to the emperor, Marquis Zhenbei is now kneeling in front of Xuande Gate to plead guilty, ask the emperor for instruction?”

Plead guilty? Seems like he’s not hopelessly stupid. Guan Father raised his eyebrows, there was a smile yet not a smile expression on his face. The old master Guan stroked his beard, but did not express his opinion.

Emperor Sheng Yuan was talking about happy thing, where did he have the mind to take care of Zhao Luli, but his serious father-in-law and grandfather-in-law were here, it’s impossible to not give face at all, so he waved his hand and said, “Announce him into the palace.”

Zhao Luli was quickly taken into the Weiyang Palace, wearing only a pure white single shirt, with a bundle of thorns tied behind his back, the sharp thorns pierced the skin, and a little blood oozes out, making him like a sorry figure. He obviously didn’t expect Old Master Guan and Guan Father to be here, and his pale face couldn’t help but turn red, he then buried his head deeply, ashamed to face the two of them.

“This sinner sees the emperor, sees the Emperor Teacher, sees the Chief of Ceremonies.” He was half-kneeling and saluted, his voice hoarse.

Old Master Guan and Father Guan nodded slightly, with neither indignation nor condemnation on their faces, let alone disappointment. They were originally reluctant for this marriage, and now it was not surprising that it had fallen to this point, as long as their Yiyi did not suffer then it’s alright.

“Get up.” While observing the expressions of Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies, Emperor Sheng Yuan tapped the table and asked, “I heard that you intend to plead guilty?”

“That’s right. This sinner knows that his sins are heavy, his evil is accumulating a lot of calamity, so he came to the palace to show his own way, and use all loyalty and righteousness to redeem himself.” He looked at the expressionless Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies, ans said in dumb voice, “This sinner is bold, ask the emperor to speak in private.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan pondered for a while, then waved his hand and said, “Come in with me. Emperor Teacher and Chief of Ceremonies please sit for a while, Zhen will be right back.”

Zhao Luli also blushed and said, “Chen Guang is rude.”

The emperor and the courtier entered the inner hall one after another, one sat down on the chair, the other knelt on the ground with a thud, and said with difficulty, “Your Majesty, all the things Ye Quanyong committed, you can ask anything you want, this sinner will surely not hide anything he knows.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan didn’t have anything he wanted to ask. He pried open the mouth that could be pried open, and grasped the secrets that could be found. The only thing was, how did the life-saving grace happened that year, Ye Quanyong would rather die than confess, directly bit through the poison sac and commit suicide. On the contrary, this showed that what happened back then was suspicious. If he could find concrete evidence, he would make Ye Zhen pay the price.

He was one of the people blinded by the Ye family, but Zhao Luli probably knew even less, so what could he ask him? As for the fact that he helped Ye Quanyong to intercept the victims of Gejia village, the evidence had long been discover. If he had not come to plead guilty this morning, the Imperial Guard would go to Marquis Mansion to arrest people in the afternoon.

“I have nothing to say to you.” Emperor Sheng Yuan closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

Zhao Luli smiled bitterly, “I never expected us to come this point. I remember the time when you and I worshiped the sky on the vast grassland, the time when we became sworn brothers, fought on the battlefield together, and entrusting each other with our lives. You once went through ten thousand armies to save me, and I have rushed through the night to save you. Sitting in front of the bonfire at night, singing ‘Qin Feng Wu Yi‘ together. I thought that even if the heaven and earth changed, this brotherhood would never be change. But I didn’t expect that to create the foundation for the world, I would fight for you in the front, you faked death in the back to deceive the enemy, and attacked Yanjing by surprise, but even my wife was attacked together.”

The more he recalled the past, the worse Emperor Sheng Yuan’s mood became. He suddenly slammed the arm of his chair and scolded, “Enough, I know that you are making a bitter trick. After all, you Zhao Luli still cherish your life and don’t want to die!”

When his plan was discovered, Zhao Luli could only smile bitterly, “Yes, this sinner is indeed making a bitter trick. Who in this world are not afraid of death? Besides, I have to take care of the family’s old and young, and now there are still a person who I want to make amend to and accompany for the rest of their lives, so I can’t leave them alone. Am I wrong? Back then, I fought with the Second Prince, the feudal vassal’s force came from all sides, and Xue Mingrui was in the front, risking nine death to contain several troops, otherwise can you smoothly break into Yanjing, captured the little emperor, holding the Son of Heaven to command the feudal vassal? And the Ye family treated you well, they didn’t hesitate to donate all their property to help your conquest. Which of your weapons, war horses, and food and grass are not supplied by them? Even just for the sake of those supplies, you can’t take things too far!”

Emperor Sheng Yuan almost couldn’t control the tyrannical desire to kill in his heart. Zhao Luli didn’t know anything, but still dared to run to him and made these accusation? Could it be his, Huo Shengzhe, vision was so bad that even a pretentious woman like Ye Zhen could look at it? Could it be that his, Huo Shengzhe, character was so despicable that even his brother’s wife could be forcibly seized?

If it weren’t for Ye Zhen had saved his life once. When he passed by the Zhao family’s village for a short rest, and the next day after pulling out of the camp, he found that the Old Marquis had actually stuffed a big living person in his luggage, he would have thrown Ye Zhen away into the barren mountains and forest to fend for herself without saying a word. He really couldn’t understand the thoughts of Han women, what was it that they couldn’t live without chastity? He didn’t even touch a single finger of her, but he became a greedy and hungry ghost who snatched woman, a shameless villain who betrayed his faith.

And not only he couldn’t ignore Ye Zhen, but he also had to offer her a shelter to repay the life-saving grace, and in order to retain the last trace of brotherhood. The results? This fucking thing is a complete scam!

Who should he complain his grievances and injustices to? How should his anger and unwillingness be vented? What’s more, Ye Zhen even joined force with Zhao Luli to intercept the empress who should belong to him! Who exactly took whose wife? Who owes whom?

Emperor Sheng Yuan silently recalled the past, he did not feel that there was any guilt in him, but instead endless grief and pain poured out of his chest. He just missed Madam like that, just watched her suffer humiliation in a place he couldn’t reach. But this couple was good, one cheated and used him for many years, the other ruined the pearl in his heart, and now if he said he want to repent, then he repent, if he said he want to make amends, then make amends, if he said he doesn’t want to throw it away, he won’t throw it away, who is he? What are his qualifications?

Yes, why not? Isn’t this qualification exactly what you gave him? Knowing that Ye Zhen had intervened so skillfully, he also issued the imperial edict to grant marriage, thus giving up the most precious and most beautiful treasures that should belong to him. Not only did Ye Zhen do this brilliantly, Huo Shengzhe, you also deserved to be here!

Emperor Sheng Yuan felt a rush of anger attacked his heart, he held his forehead and laughed lowly. For a moment, the laughter was mixed with a few traces of brokenness and depression, as if he was crying. But he quickly restrained his laugh, looked at Zhao Luli with a blank face, and said in a deep voice, “Since you want to mention the past, then Zhen will make it clear with you. You have indeed restrained the various armies and gained enough time for Zhen to attacked Yanjing secretly, but have you forgotten how Hancheng fell? How did the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians die? How did Zhen’s imperial sister was pierced in her heart with arrows and almost died? Do you think your outstanding military exploits cancel out everything in the past? Zhen indeed has done something wrong, but Zhen has never been ashamed to the people, ashamed to the fellow soldiers, or ashamed to the heavens and earth!”

Zhao Luli finally bent his back under his word by word beating, and buried his head in shame. The loss of Hancheng was the eternal pain in his heart. Originally he wasn’t the kind of coward who was devastated because of the love pain, but after Hancheng was slaughtered, he knew that he would never be able to stand up in this life.

In order to forget that monstrous sin, he could only live in confusion, and could only turn all his attention to his “dead wife”, as if he could drill into his head that he was a victim, then he could sleep peacefully. But in fact, he never had a good sleep even for one day, and never forgot that river of blood devastation.

So he kept indulging himself, and committed many more sins. People really shouldn’t make mistakes, because one step wrong often means every next steps would be wrong, until come to an end.

He withered, tears pouring out of his eyes silently.

Emperor Sheng Yuan glanced at him coldly and continued, “Let’s talk about the Ye family. If there was no protection from Zhen, could they come and go in the war with a large amount of supplies? Could they make a lot of money without being killed by various forces? All their wealth, even their family’s lives, was given by Zhen, why shouldn’t Zhen take it back? Don’t tell Zhen that the Ye family is innocent.”

The Ye family was not innocent, so Zhao Luli couldn’t speak. It was obvious that talking about feelings couldn’t impress the emperor in the slightest. He already tried his best, so he resigned himself to his fate.

Thinking like this, Zhao Luli closed his eyes and kowtowed three times.

Looking at his dark hair and thin back, Emperor Sheng Yuan seemed to hear that song again – How can you say you have no clothes? You have the same robe with your son. Master Wang Yuxing, repair my spear and halberd… In the end, we will share the same clothes and overcome adversity, that’s all, that’s all…

“Zhen can punish you with the death penalty, but for the sake of that year’s friendship you will be forgiven once. You will go to the Department of Justice without your official hat and court clothes to state your crimes and cooperate with the case, wait until this matter is over, and then your title will be stripped off and downgrade to a commoner. Do you accept it?”

“This sinner accept it! Thanking the Emperor for his kindness.” Zhao Luli kowtowed again and again.

Emperor Sheng Yuan’s anger was still in his heart. He wanted to explain the event of that year, and then reveal his doubts about Ye Zhen, but after a little thought, he didn’t mention it. If Zhao Luli was completely disappointed with Ye Zhen, then he would one day see the benefits of Madam, and that would be troublesome. No, he was already aware the extraordinary thing about Madam and he regretted it.

Although the Zhao family had been divided into east and west mansion, they were only separated by a wall. No matter what, the distance between him and Madam was closer than himself, and they were a legitimate husband and wife. As time goes by, maybe Madam would forgive him for his sincerity and good performance, and return to the East Mansion to live their lives.

At that time, he couldn’t even dreaming of her. Emperor Sheng Yuan was annoyed, and wanted to retract his words and send Zhao Luli to the Heavenly Prison for a lifetime.

Zhao Luli felt a chill on the back of his neck. He hadn’t heard the order “get up” for a long time, so he couldn’t help but look up, and found that the emperor was staring at him with murderous eyes, as if they had an irreconcilable revenge, and the words to ask Ye Jieyu’s conditions were swallowed immediately, he didn’t dare to open his mouth again.