Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 772 - 769: Off to a Winning Start_1

The Emperor of Liang heard his son’s words and, in his anger, picked up the memorials from the table and threw them at the Third Prince. The Third Prince was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly: "Father, spare me! Father, spare me!"

"You wretched dog! Qiheng was your brother by blood! He died tragically at the hands of the Jin Army! Tragically! And you humiliate me like this! I cannot endure this humiliation! I want revenge!" The Emperor of Liang shouted in anger, tears falling like a broken string as he couldn’t help but sob, "My poor Heng’er was pierced by countless arrows, and even in death... his body was separated from his head. We couldn’t even keep his body intact! Yet, you ask me to swallow my anger! When will this revenge be? Until after you inherit the throne? By that time, you might have long forgotten about your brother! Revenge? Do you think I don’t know what kind of a person you are?!"

As he spoke, the Emperor picked up the incense burner beside him and hurled it at the Third Prince.

The Third Prince, being heavyset, couldn’t dodge in time and took the hit directly from the incense burner, his head immediately started bleeding: "Father, please calm down, I never had such thoughts! I never coveted the throne! Please, Father, see the truth!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down!"

"Please, Your Majesty, calm down!"

The court officials in the hall knelt on the ground.

The Emperor wiped his tears with his sleeve, still furious, he stood up and glared at the kneeling court officials: "If any of you wish to speak of peace negotiations, then have the Jin Kingdom... bring me the heads of Liu Hong and that Gaoyi Commandery Princess! Otherwise, there’s no need to talk!"

The hall fell deathly silent.

The Emperor flicked his sleeve and left. The Third Prince trembled as he knelt in the hall, blood pooling on the floor, not daring to rise.

Zhao Sheng wanted to ask the Emperor if he should lead the troops, but seeing the Emperor’s state, he swallowed his words.

After the Emperor left, the old Prime Minister quickly helped the Third Prince up. Another official handed the Third Prince a handkerchief while calling for the Imperial Physician to come and treat his wounds.

Always weak and fearful of the Emperor of Liang, the Third Prince pressed the handkerchief against his bleeding forehead, his body trembling. Yet, this time, he wasn’t crying as he usually did. Instead, he suppressed his sobs and humbly thanked the officials. While waiting for the physician, he reassured Zhao Sheng, saying he would enter the palace again to persuade the Emperor. If Father insisted on war... he would certainly recommend Zhao Sheng once more.

Zhao Sheng bowed deeply to the Third Prince in thanks.

The Third Prince looked at the gloomy sky outside the hall and said, "I wonder if the spies we sent to the Jin Kingdom have obtained the prescription for treating the plague. If we can get the prescription back soon, Daliang still has a chance. If we delay any longer... Daliang’s population can’t afford it."

Although not as clever as his Fourth Brother Wei Qiheng, the Third Prince was simple-minded but understood... that the people are the foundation of the nation. His Father... this monarch, had gone mad due to Wei Qiheng’s death, mad enough to disregard the nation.

Though it seemed unfilial to think this way, if at this time... the Father passed away, even if it wasn’t him... if another brother succeeded, as long as he first bowed down and sought peace with the Jin Kingdom for the prescription to save the commoners, the nation could survive. Only afterward could they seek revenge.

"His Majesty... is so persistent about the Fourth Prince’s death," the Minister of Revenue stood beside the Third Prince, shaking his head.

The Third Prince, covering his forehead with the handkerchief, had red-rimmed eyes as he said, "Father’s persistence about my Fourth Brother’s death is because... of the words he had someone bring back."

The Third Prince wasn’t blaming Wei Qiheng for the message he sent before his death. It was just that the message hit the Emperor’s heart too hard.

Wei Qiheng had his personal guard deliver a message to the Emperor, saying he had originally wanted to be a good prince as his Father wished and eventually a good Crown Prince. He didn’t love studying and didn’t crave the position of Crown Prince, but he didn’t want to disappoint his Father, so... recently, he had been listening to his tutors teach those hard-to-understand history books! He was learning how to be a good Crown Prince, saying he had never been a good son, and because his mother died early, his Father always cherished him, which made him fearless and reckless! Seeing his Father’s hair turning gray and his back bending, he realized he wanted to be a good son, one his Father could be proud of, but it was too late! Had he known his life would be so short... he would not have traveled far, but stayed by his Father’s side to serve him and share his burdens in the court. He said that in his next life, he would still be his Father’s son, but he would be an obedient son who wouldn’t worry his Father and would serve his Father well.

These words broke the Emperor’s heart, nearly killing him...

Wei Qiheng volunteered to negotiate with the Jin Kingdom to prove himself, seeing his Father’s struggles and wanting to share the burden. But just as he was improving, he tragically died at the enemy’s hands. How could the Emperor not hate?

The sky over Hancheng darkened further as rolling clouds gathered. A sudden bright flash and a deafening thunder were followed by a heavy rainstorm, plunging the world into darkness.

The Third Prince bandaged his wound and gathered his courage to enter the palace to see the Emperor again.

That night, the Emperor issued a decree, ordering Zhao Sheng to lead the Zhao family army to the front lines.

Lightning tore the sky. Zhao Sheng, clad in armor, rode at the front, leading a large contingent of black-armored soldiers through the storm. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

The Zhao family banner fluttered in the heavy rain. His eyes filled with determination, Zhao Sheng vowed to bring down the God of Slaughter from the Jin Kingdom to honor his brother and General Xun’s spirits.

He prayed that his grandfather, father, brother, and General Xun’s spirits would bless him with victory.

·

In the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, on the first day of September, the Second Prince of Yan, Murong Ping, and General Xie Xun led two separate forces, capturing Guanjiu and Pingliu, steadily closing in on the capital of the Wei Kingdom, Chang City. The Emperor of Wei personally led his army to drive out the intruding Yan forces.

On the twelfth of September in the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, Zhao Sheng, who had reached the Qingxi Mountain Pass, knew that the pass had changed hands multiple times between the Jin and Liang armies and that the Jin Army would be exhausted. He launched a swift surprise attack with the speed of lightning. The Liang Army was at the peak of its momentum. Liu Hong, seeing that a head-on battle would be futile, ordered a strategic retreat, withdrawing the army beyond the Qinxi Mountain pass.

Bai Jinzhi, with her arm wrapped in blood-soaked cotton cloth, stood at the wooden platform in the main tent. She gazed down at the intense rain causing splashes and then looked up at the rolling black clouds, feeling as though the sky had been torn apart. The rain grew heavier, and she wondered where her elder sister had gone.

"Fourth Miss, the medicine has been cooling for a while and is ready to drink..." Ji Langhua approached Bai Jinzhi with a bowl of medicine. Seeing Bai Jinzhi take the bowl, she added, "The wind is chilling with the rain. Fourth Miss should return inside to rest..."