The Slender Waist-Chapter 705 - 508: Dying with Remaining Grievances (Part 2)

Chapter 705: Chapter 508: Dying with Remaining Grievances (Part 2)

"Pei Jue, do you really intend to disregard her life?"

No response came.

Li Zongxun laughed maniacally and roared like a madman.

"I’ll count to three, and if you don’t order the Northern Yong Army to lay down their weapons, I’ll ignite the fire and burn her to death!"

Feng Yun stared at Pei Jue.

The midday sunlight slanted across Pei Jue’s cold armor, reflecting a dazzling light, his cape fluttering in the cold wind, making a flapping sound, adding to the already somber and oppressive atmosphere.

She saw Pei Jue’s sword-wielding hand pause for a moment.

And it was this slight lapse that resulted in him being hit by an arrow from the city wall...

The arrow grazed his arm, drawing out a streak of blood.

Feng Yun’s eyes widened as her mouth opened and closed, then she stood in silence.

"One!"

"Two!"

Atop the tower, Li Zongxun lifted the torch high.

It was a mere three feet away from Li Sangruo’s clothing.

Below the tower, the Northern Yong Army’s assault intensified.

Pei Jue, alone on his horse, had already reached the city gate.

A group of soldiers were using a battering ram to forcefully attack the gate, but despite the loud "bang" sounds, the sturdy gate did not budge at all.

Li Zongxun shouted, "Three!"

"Ah... no... Father..."

Li Sangruo’s scream pierced the sky.

Heart-wrenching, terrifying, it made Feng Yun’s heart tremble.

Li Sangruo, oh, Li Sangruo.

What must you be feeling at this moment?

Those who died by your hand also screamed like this, cried like this, begged like this, but you never once gave them a chance to live...

Your plight today is a consequence of your own doing.

"Ah!"

A terrible scream came from the tower.

It was Li Sangruo’s voice.

Feng Yun calmly looked over.

Instead of flames igniting on Li Sangruo’s body, Li Zongxun and the torch in his hand both fell to the ground.

Almost simultaneously, the tightly shut city gate opened from the inside amidst everyone’s shouts.

From atop the tower, a familiar voice resonated.

"Welcome the Prince of Yonghuai to enter the city, surrender and you will not be killed!"

Tang Shaogong?

Feng Yun was astounded for a moment, looking up.

Her eyes were like a storm.

-

Tang Shaogong, dressed in the armor of an ordinary soldier, with a solemn face, walked up to Li Sangruo. Without a word, he untied her from the pyre and then signaled to the guard beside him.

"Bring the Prince of Runan down."

Li Sangruo could hardly believe her eyes.

"Uncle Shaogong, you... you’re not dead?"

Tang Shaogong glanced at Li Zongxun, who was killed with a single stab, and spoke coldly, "Alive."

Li Sangruo was trembling with excitement.

"He’s dead. You’re not."

"Li Zongxun is dead, he’s truly dead."

She dared not look at the corpse of Li Zongxun.

That man, that face, to her, he had a presence too imposing, a single glance at him made her feel like her breath would be taken away in fear.

"Uncle Shaogong, what’s going on here? How could this happen? How could you suddenly appear, and these people...how could they suddenly betray father?"

Tang Shaogong pursed his lips and remained silent.

At this moment, the situation on the city tower had completely changed.

After the death of Li Zongxun, the already feeble resistance of Yecheng’s defending soldiers collapsed entirely, overtaken by the troops brought by Tang Shaogong.

Tang Shaogong glanced at a General who was seizing weapons and said indifferently, "Liao Fang is my brother. That day, when I feigned death and went into hiding, I was concealed among his troops."

Liao Fang was the General Zuo who had been sent by Li Zongxun to Longqing Gate that day, to suppress Tang Shaogong and Right General Ding Cheng.

That day, he brought back a head and reported to Li Zongxun, claiming that Tang Shaogong had committed suicide.

The head was swollen and marred with wounds; Li Sangruo was so terrified that she fainted on the spot, and without a closer look, she believed it to be true...

So that’s how it was.

So that’s how it was!

How could a person as calculating and foresighted as Tang Shaogong commit suicide?

She was too naive.

Li Sangruo suddenly focused her gaze on Li Zongxun.

The man lying in a pool of blood was bloated and obese, his hand still in the position of holding a torch, his muddy old eyes as wide as copper bells, unable to close even in death.

Perhaps he never understood what happened, even to his death?

Li Sangruo suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Again and again.

Until she laughed herself to tears.

"Father, you always scolded me for being foolish, but tell me, who is more foolish between us? You’ve been wise all your life, but how did Uncle Shaogong deceive you? How could you fall into the hands of one person? Poor you, dying with your eyes wide open."

The resentment in her words made Tang Shaogong furrow his brow.

Li Sangruo then turned her gaze back to him, staring intently, "Uncle Shaogong, I came close to dying with my eyes open, too. I was unaware that you were using me, continually, up until today."

Tang Shaogong furrowed his brow, "What does the Empress Dowager mean by this?"

Li Sangruo let out a cold snort, "If you wished to, you would have had a thousand, ten thousand opportunities to save me, but you did not act... You waited for today, until I was bound on top of the city tower by Li Zongxun, until he raised the torch, potentially burning me alive at any moment, before you appeared..."

Tang Shaogong: "Empress Dowager, you are still alive."

Li Sangruo closed her eyes, not daring to recall the terror that had shattered her courage just earlier.

"You timed your moment, planning to open the city gates wide for the Northern Yong Army while Li Zongxun was unprepared, do you realize..."

Do you know how many prayers she recited since his "death," how many wishes she made, how many tears she shed.

Li Sangruo’s throat tightened as she laughed with a choke, "Uncle Shaogong, you are the coldest, most heartless, and most ruthless person I’ve met in this world."

Tang Shaogong fell silent for a moment.

"He who aspires to great things does not get caught up in trifles."

Li Sangruo shook her head, looking at his tranquil, undisturbed face.

"So, am I really Pei Jue’s sister or not?"

Tang Shaogong did not answer, but rather grasped her wrist, pulling Li Sangruo down the steps beside the horse road to the base of the city wall before he finally looked at her seriously.

"You’d better be."

Li Sangruo was taken aback, "You mean..."

Tang Shaogong averted his gaze and said coldly.

"Li Zongxun is dead, and no one in the world knows whose daughter you truly are."

Li Sangruo stepped backward, her gaze dull as she looked at him.

"I don’t understand..."

Tang Shaogong seemed not to want to elaborate, giving her a glance before turning to leave. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Uncle Shaogong..." Li Sangruo called out to him.

Tang Shaogong stopped.

Without turning around, his voice was cold.

"One more piece of advice for the Empress Dowager; trouble comes from the mouth. Unless Pei Jue is willing to recognize you, all talk of your origins should rot in your stomach. Otherwise, no one can save you."

Before Li Sangruo could fully grasp the meaning of his words, Tang Shaogong had already strode away, giving orders to the guards.

"Take Empress Dowager Mingde into custody and leave her to the Prince of Yonghuai’s disposal."