After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times-Chapter 946 - 931: Don’t Want to Die

Liu Huanle raised his head to look at him, his eyes filled with fear, yet he did not relent: "The world is not just a result of your efforts; the five tribes of the Xiongnu have all contributed."

"The successor favored by Your Majesty was never you!" Liu Huanle said: "If you could preserve the glory of the Xiongnu, it would be something, but you cannot; the battles with the Zhao Family Army are continuously failing, and now we are at the brink of our clan’s survival!"

He said sadly: "Zhao Hanzhang has taken Wang Jun, and Shi Le is also being used by her. We have no place to retreat! We’ve been migrating from beyond the pass to Bingzhou for nearly a hundred years, our people cannot return beyond the pass to endure that bitter cold life. If we do not want to perish, surrendering is the only option."

Liu Cong was furious: "Nonsense! Even if we only have one county left, we will never retreat!"

"That’s because you can’t bear to let go of your power!" Liu Huanle shouted loudly: "Or perhaps, you unwilling to die for the clan, you’re afraid. You’re afraid that if you surrender, Zhao Hanzhang will kill you, just like you killed Emperor Jin!"

Liu Cong, his thoughts exposed, was enraged, turned around and drew a guard’s knife, with a swing, Liu Huanle couldn’t say any more words, his head rolled aside, his mouth subconsciously opened and closed twice, then stopped.

The other ministers who were captured turned pale and trembled.

Liu Cong didn’t give them any chance to plead or explain and directly ordered "Kill"; in less than half a moment, all the ministers involved in the rebellion in the hall were killed.

The other ministers watching, as well as Empress Dowager Shan sitting in the upper seat waiting for the birthday celebration, turned pale and dared not make a sound.

Liu Cong ordered with his back to them, "Close the city gates, search the city for the King of Beihai!"

"Yes!"

Liu Yi and his men had already seized a city gate, realizing they couldn’t hold it for long, they divided into two paths, one to mobilize troops to attack the Imperial Palace, and the other to lead their families to withdraw from the gate.

Then the forces trying to capture Liu Yi and those attacking the garden met halfway and fought in the street.

Before long, the thunderous sound of battle cries outside reached the garden, everyone’s faces turned even paler, and Empress Dowager Shan staggered, both hands involuntarily clutching her skirt.

She cursed Liu Yi in her heart, urging him to run quickly, why has he returned to fight?

His greatest military accomplishment was once persuading Zhao Hanzhang to negotiate, not even as good as Liu Cong’s eldest son, Liu Jie, who had been on the battlefield, how could he fight Liu Cong?

Empress Dowager Shan’s vision darkened, feeling their mother-son fate was doomed this night.

Liu Cong didn’t go out, just kept sending people to gather news, then made arrangements.

Once he had arranged everything, he turned back to look at everyone with a heavy gaze.

The remaining ministers and tribal leaders knelt, bowing their heads, not daring to look at him.

Liu Cong’s gaze gradually moved up and fell on Empress Dowager Shan.

Empress Dowager Shan trembled nervously, hesitating whether to kneel and beg for mercy.

Still undecided, Liu Cong stepped up to her, grabbing her hand, causing her to tremble all over, nearly kneeling to beg for mercy. However, Liu Cong firmly pulled her up, asking with a faint smile: "Why is the Empress Dowager attending the banquet alone tonight? Where are your maidservants?"

Empress Dowager Shan trembled as she replied: "In, in the room."

"Oh?"

Liu Cong turned to look at the guard, who immediately knelt down and said: "The maidservant signaling to the King of Beihai at the gate is from the Empress Dowager’s palace."

Liu Cong stared at Empress Dowager Shan, "What does the Empress Dowager have to say?"

Empress Dowager Shan persisted through gritted teeth: "I do not know; when I left, she was still in the room..."

Liu Cong snorted coldly, "If the Empress Dowager won’t speak the truth, then you’ll have to wait quietly for news. You’d better pray my seventh brother still holds some loyalty to his subjects, otherwise, you’ll have to meet him on the battlefield, and by then, I won’t be asking how your maid managed to slip outside the gate."

Empress Dowager Shan started to tremble, unable to utter a single word.

Liu Cong, seeing her reluctance to confess, waved his hand, and guards immediately stepped forward to drag Empress Dowager Shan away.

Liu Cong frowned and said displeasedly: "Escort the Empress Dowager down."

The guards released her, stood aside, and invited her to leave.

Empress Dowager Shan barely stabilized herself, left following the guards, trembling.

The guards locked her in a room, once the door was closed, she collapsed to the ground.

This wasn’t the first time she’d been so close to death, yet she couldn’t help being afraid; she didn’t want to be, she wanted to be braver, but she was just scared.

Empress Dowager Shan tried to build herself up, but ultimately couldn’t stand, so crawled forward, grasped the table, and sat trembling in the chair.

After a while, she moved in the darkness, hearing the growing sound of battle cries, was it her son breaking in?

She raised her ears, heard the swift marching of footsteps, and shivered, finally gritting her teeth to rise, lighting a candle, opened the wardrobe, and took out a piece of white silk.

This was prepared by herself after Liu Yuan died; she dared not use it but was also too afraid not to prepare it, fearing Liu He hated Liu Yi enough to kill her, so she had long chosen her method of death.

Liu Cong... she feared even more.

Empress Dowager Shan tied one end of the silk into a ball, then carefully climbed onto the table, throwing the silk over the beam to let it fall, she untied the ball and began tying a knot.

As she tied the knot, she cursed Liu Yi in her heart, "I told you to leave, why come back?"

"Since you returned, it shows you only care about the great endeavor, not me as your mother, otherwise, if you lose in battle, you will surely die, once you die, what meaning is there for me to live?" Empress Dowager Shan cried, too focused on blaming Liu Yi to notice the soft sound on the window sill, "If you haven’t lost, I cannot live either, otherwise Liu Cong will drag me to the battlefront, entangling you in disloyalty and injustice?"

A son’s failure can have countless reasons, but Empress Dowager Shan couldn’t let herself be one of them.

If one must die, or if both must die, then let her alone perish.

Empress Dowager Shan finished tying the knot, tried to place her neck inside, finding it was just the right height, she cried harder, reluctant to put it on, so she untied it and tied it higher, tested it, then untied it and tied it lower, tested it again, finding she had no more reasons to delay, she tied it at the perfect spot and placed her head inside...

She closed her eyes tightly, gathered her resolve; when she finally decided to let her feet leave the table, her legs were suddenly hugged...

She opened her eyes wide in fright, unable to make a sound, and covering her mouth after she was put down, the person quietly leaned to her ear and said: "Do not be afraid, Empress Dowager, we are the Zhao Family Army sent to rescue you."

Empress Dowager Shan’s eyes widened even more; would the Zhao Family Army really save her?