Chapter 519

Mrs. Zhu suddenly spoke up, "You haven't told me yet what you just promised me."

"How is my son doing? Where is he?"

"On the frontier," Fang Heng turned his head. "Buried together with countless frontier soldiers."

Mrs. Zhu's gaze went blank as she silently sat back down.

As people left the prison cell, the cold and gloom faded away at the same time, replaced by overwhelming daylight that enveloped every inch of their skin.

"Sunshine is still the best," Jiang Sheng stretched lazily. "Seeing the big sun makes me want to sleep."

Old Lady Jiang chuckled, and the He Family Lord looked puzzled.

Only Zheng Ruqian grumbled softly, "If I remember correctly, you also want to sleep on rainy days."

Jiang Sheng's old face turned red. He no longer dared to stretch his arms and darted into the carriage, wrapping his whole body in the curtains.

He looked just like that fat silkworm cocoon.

Old Lady Jiang was the first who could not hold back her hearty laughter.

The brothers all laughed along, and the He Family Lord was even more eager to squeeze over, "Young lady, you are so wonderful. How old is the young lady? Is she engaged to marry..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

Because he realized no one was laughing anymore, and pairs of eyes glared at him guardedly and hostilely.

Old Lady Jiang waved her hand to intervene, "Do you know why the He family treasures He Xin, Grandma Xiao Heng, so much?"

"Why?" Fang Heng could not help but ask.

"Because Auntie is the only girl in our He family’s six generations." Tears welled up in the He Family Lord's eyes, "So many years have passed, and we haven't seen a second young lady."

He had three stinky boys, and his brother He Chengzhang also had two stinky boys. "Lord He," Wen Zhiyun suddenly spoke up, "The prefect's wife came to me for a fetal wellness pulse reading some time ago. She seems to be pregnant."

The He Family Lord’s body shook violently. He could not believe it and turned his head back.

After getting confirmation from Wen Zhiyun again, he did not dare to delay any longer. He immediately called for a carriage, "Go back home, go back home quickly."

The siblings all laughed, and Zheng Ruqian had a gossipy face, "The He family is accepting the prefect’s wife?"

"No overnight hate between family members," Xu Mo said lightly with a smile. "If the prefect’s wife can give birth to a daughter, she will surely become a hero of the He family."

Everyone burst into loud laughter again, but this time the laughter was full of blessings.

Jiang Sheng had already taken the lead to climb onto the carriage, and Old Lady Jiang went along to keep him company.

The other brothers also got on one after another. When it was Fang Heng’s turn, Xu Mo grabbed him, "Third brother, I have something to tell you."

The only thing that could make the two whisper secretly was surely Wang Yuyao imprisoned in the remote suburbs.

It was still the tall courtyard walls, heavy iron chains, and fist-sized bronze locks.

Only this time, the person unlocking was Fang Heng.

Wang Yuyao in the courtyard was still sitting limply. Although very young, she already exuded an aura of melancholy.

She mechanically swung her arms. Hearing the sound, she only asked indifferently, "You've come again."

But this time there was no response from Xu Mo, nor food and water being moved.

Wang Yuyao curiously looked back. What came into view was the upright figure of the young general in azure robes. His noble air of a Fengjing noble family's son and the fierceness of a frontier soldier were vividly portrayed in his heroic spirit.

At this moment he stood at the courtyard gate, holding heavy iron chains, silent for a long time.

He came back after all. He came back alive.

Wang Yuyao's expression shattered, from wooden to startled, from startled to ecstatic, until she was sobbing uncontrollably in the end.

He was still so kind, but she was already broken beyond repair.

"Lord Xu, you are so ruthless." Wang Yuyao wailed bitterly, "Kill or punish me as you like, but you had to destroy my heart."

From Anshui to Fengjing, from a huge change in the family to raising weapons against each other, the scenes of their childhood laughter and joy were still vivid, but in a flash, everything was different.

Her mother had ruthlessly turned her back, so she had to hate as well.

She finally forced him to leave, and still unsatisfied, came to Fengjing, but still failed to get what she desired. Fate tossed her around like duckweed adrift, unable to fulfill the love of their childhood, or satisfy the desires of their adulthood.

Suddenly she did not care so much for the Sun family or her mother anymore.

She had been so tired in this life, always having to shoulder all responsibilities.

She had forgotten that in the first ten years, her father had also held her in his palm, doting on her in every possible way.

"Brother Heng, you finally came back," Wang Yuyao wiped her tears and tentatively moved closer, "I haven't seen you for so many years. I want to chat with you, is that okay?"

What answered her was Fang Heng's complete indifference.

"I know you hate how I forced you back then. I don't want to explain too much either. I just..." She finally got close and pulled out the short sword that only generals could wear.

Fang Heng's expression was blank. He neither responded nor stopped her, as if wanting to see what tricks she would play.

Wang Yuyao tried to swing the sword in a flashy way, failed, and then mocked herself, "As expected, martial arts require diligent practice. I can hardly remember anything you taught me back then."

"You hate me, don't you? You should hate me," she finally took one last look at the azure sky and glaring sunlight, and stabbed herself in the chest with the blade, "Go ahead and hate me. I deserve it after all."

The slender yellowish body collapsed to the ground. With her heart veins severed, blood flowed from the corners of the mouth of someone who had loved beauty so much.

"Why go to such extremes," Fang Heng frowned. "I never hated you. What you did had nothing to do with me. I just didn't like you targeting my brothers and sisters."

If there were feelings between them, then it ended on the hillside parting, and they became strangers since.

"Oh, so that's why," Wang Yuyao sneered bitterly, "Should I say it's because I was jealous? Would you believe me if I said I envied them? They could be so carefree with you while I could only hurt you..."

Perhaps it was the increasing blood loss, or the slowing beats of her heart, but her breathing became more and more urgent, "Brother Heng, I saw Daddy, and Uncle too. They smiled and said they wanted to betroth me to you as a general's wife. But why does fate like to toy with me? I can't become a general's wife anymore."

"I'm going now, to see Daddy and Uncle...I'll tell them you're doing very well..."

Human wickedness comes in many forms - innate, acquired, causal, circumstantial.

Apart from a few evil seeds, most people's wickedness can be traced back to a cause - perhaps fate's pranks, torment of life, coincidence, or helplessness.

But every cause has its effect. Those who have done evil will eventually face retribution, so don't forget to count your remaining days even during carefree times.

If one could foresee the future, the dying imperial family would perhaps not neglect the Second Prince again, kind-hearted He Xin would not raise a bastard above the lawful son, mad Liao Shi would not trust her maternal family without limits, and conflicted Wang Yuyao would not choose Fang Yuan again.

But regrettably no one can do that, so causes and effects continue.

Xu Mo watched coldly on the sidelines, waiting for Fang Heng to bury Wang Yuyao on the spot. Then the two brothers drove back to the small courtyard.

Everyone was still sitting in the courtyard and had not left.

He took a deep breath, walked over to the long table in three steps, cupped his fists and said, "Little Five, Eldest Brother has a favor to ask of you. Could you...send me back to Anshui as prefect?"