In the end, he looked at Wei Chenglin slowly, and said the final verdict word by word: "Thank you, the British Duke Wei Chenglin and his wife Zhou Shi are absolutely united!"
Wei Chenglin, who was shocked by the truth of his biological father's death, suddenly raised his eyes, his handsome face was pale, and his body was crumbling.
Yijue, hehe, it is Yijue!
"Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to be merciful, I am willing to bear all the responsibilities, and I beg Your Majesty to take back your will, what a little girl!! What a child!!" Zhou Mao couldn't help but fell to the ground any longer, pleading.
"My lord Zhou, Qiao Liu lost his best friend all his life. How can I blame her? So, His Royal Highness the Eldest Princess lost her son when she was old. How can she blame her? Your good son-in-law, Cheng Lin, lost his father when he was young, and he alone supported the precarious family. He Gu?!" Qiao Liu, who was standing silently at the side, spoke out angrily, with sharp eyes.
"I wish..."
"The matter has come to this, no matter how much you do, what can you make up for?!"
Wei Chenglin didn't seem to have heard Zhou Mao and Qiao Liu's dispute, his expression was numb, and for a long time, he fell down to Emperor Yuanyou, who had been looking at him all the time, as if waiting for his response: "Minister, thank you!"
"Wei Chenglin, you..." Zhou Mao never dreamed that he would receive the order like this.
Meeting his murderous eyes, Wei Chenglin bowed to him: "Awan, from now on I will beg Yue...Master Zhou."
A drop of tear slipped from his eyes and fell on the gold brick, sparking a small tear, but it returned to calm in an instant...
This year, several major events took place in the court.
First, the empress Zhou was abolished, and was subsequently gifted to death by Emperor Yuanyou; second, Emperor Yuanyou decreed that Wei Chenglin, the British Duke, and his wife Zhou should be separated, and the in-law relationship between Wei and Zhou was officially severed; Dismissed from office, the Zhou clan was repatriated to his original place of origin, and the man was not allowed to be an official for ten years.
There was an uproar in the ruling and opposition parties.
In particular, the affair between the Duke of England and his wife has aroused a lot of discussion among the people in the capital.
Who doesn't know that the Duke of England and his wife have a deep relationship. The Duke of England and his wife have already become the envy and envy of the ladies and ladies in the capital. What's more, this lady has two sons and a daughter with the Duke of the country. Fate is broken, why not teach people to sigh.
The decree to break up a loving couple is also one of the few places where Emperor Yuanyou, who is known as a generation of Mingjun, has been criticized by others. The villain who beats the mandarin duck with sticks.
Of course, this is a hundred years later.
At this time, Wei Chenglin was staring blankly at his wife and child who were crying in their arms, and after several blows, his heart was completely numb. Even when he faced Zhou Wanning's tears that made him feel so distressed in the past, he couldn't feel any more.
His father died, at the hands of his wife and aunt; his mother also died, at the hands of his neglect and abandonment; his only sister also died, at the hands of his beloved in the hands of his wife's brother.
"Husband..." Zhou Guanning grabbed his hand tightly and cried like rain. Behind her, the eldest daughter Xian hugged the second son Hong who was crying loudly, and the eldest son Ming was Hong. With eyes closed, he pushed away the maid who wanted to hug him.
Nuo Da's room was filled with cries one after another.
"Enough, Awan, since he doesn't want you, what are you doing here?! Go back with elder brother!" Zhou Chang walked in with a cold face, and shouted in a deep voice when he saw the chaos in the room.
"Brother, please go and beg His Majesty to take back his life. In my life, I will be born as a member of the Wei family and die as a ghost of the Wei family. I don't want to be righteous..." Zhou Guanning seemed to have grasped the straw, and rushed to grab it. He cried and begged.
"The imperial decree has been issued, and there is no room for turning around. If he was willing to say a few soft words to His Majesty and beg for mercy that day, how could it be the point where his wife and children are separated today! A Wan, you can treat yourself as blind and mistaken." For the rest of your life!" Zhou Chang persuaded, suppressing the anger and sadness in his heart.
"No, I don't! Why?! My aunt killed someone, and my grandfather made a mistake. Why should I bear the consequences for their mistakes!!" Zhou Guanning shrieked and pushed him away.
"Just because my aunt killed his real father! Just because my aunt has blood from the Zhou family!" Zhou Chang closed his eyes in pain.
Zhou Guanning's pretty face was pale, with tears in her eyes, she covered her mouth and shook her head in disbelief, then stepped back step by step, and finally completely collapsed on the ground, her face full of despair.
The hatred of killing one's father is irreconcilable...
Wei Chenglin finally turned his face around, looked at his wife who was covering her face and weeping bitterly on the ground, and then looked at the crying sons and daughters who were trying to break free from their respective mothers' arms, until they were carried out, then he got up and went forward, personally Zhou Guanning helped her up.
Zhou Guanning cried and fell into his arms, letting the tears flow freely.
"Awan, go back with your elder brother! In this life, I was wrong. There are too many people I have wronged, and they deserved to end up like this." After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice.
Zhou Chang violently pulled his sister out of his arms, gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, I'll take her away right now, and I will have nothing to do with your Wei family from now on!!"
After finishing speaking, regardless of Zhou Guanning's crying and struggling, he forcibly took her out.
The chaotic room suddenly returned to calm, and he sat down on the bench for a moment, covering his face to hide the moisture in his eyes.
For several days in a row, he locked himself in the room, allowing all kinds of memories from the past to invade his mind.
In those memories, there is the gentle smile of the father, the flattering approach of the mother, the fearful but stubborn expression of the younger sister, and even the admiring eyes of the cousin Shen Huiran.
Afterwards, everything was frozen in the gloomy and silent mourning hall.
"You really are a ruthless person!" The man's indifferent voice suddenly sounded in the room, and he looked up, his eyes were full of disbelief.
"Shen, Shen Feng?!"
The person who came was none other than his cousin Shen Feng who had been missing for several years!
Ever since her cousin Shen Huiran committed suicide by hanging from the beam back then, her biological brother Shen Feng has disappeared, and there is no news at all. Everyone thought that maybe he had encountered an accident outside, but they didn't expect that today, he actually appeared in the Duke's mansion.
Shen Feng ignored him, and walked in slowly: "Back then, for her, you ignored the death of your own sister, and didn't care about Hui Er's love for many years. Later, you even sent your biological mother to the family temple and ignored it. Now, And you gave up on her because of your so-called guilt. Wei Chenglin, your hypocrisy is truly disgusting!"
Since the death of his biological mother, Wei Chenglin didn't remember how many times he had been scolded, so he just trembled his lips when reprimanded by Shen Feng, and didn't say much.
"However, don't worry, I won't let anyone who bullied Huier and killed Yinger back then! I want to make them pay with blood, and taste for themselves how life is worse than death!" Shen Feng approached In front of him, the expression was cold, and he said every word.
"You, what did you do?" Wei Chenglin suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.
"Didn't you say that back then? It was just an accident, and Zhou Zhuo only lost his hand to cause Ying'er's death. Do you want to say that it was Ying'er's bad luck that caused such a fatal disaster?" ?”
"Today, I will treat them in the same way as others, and I will also take a look at their surname Zhou's luck. If they escape this time, it will be God's favor, and I have nothing to say; If they can't escape, then it can only be their fate, damn it!" Shen Feng sneered, his eyes were dark.
"What did you do?!" Wei Chenglin grabbed his collar and asked in a trembling voice.
"Try their luck!" Shen Feng pretended to be innocent.
He looked up at the sky, and saw a rainbow after the rain hung in the sky at some point, it was so beautiful.
He said unhurriedly: "However, at this time, the result has probably been reached. Today, the Zhou Mansion is full of families and they set off to return home. They passed by Yanming Mountain. There are a few rocks on Yanming Mountain that are a little loose, and it has been raining for days. Maybe..."
Before he finished speaking, Wei Chenglin got up with a 'huh', and ran out like flying.
There was a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and he didn't stop him. He walked out the door leisurely, took the reins handed over by his entourage, got on his horse, and followed Wei Chenglin who had already galloped away.
Wei Chenglin was so anxious that he whipped the steed vigorously again and again, only hoping that it could run faster and prevent the tragedy from happening.
He didn't know how long he ran, until the wreckage of the carriage scattered around at the foot of the mountain, boxes containing luggage and other things, and even a few puddles of blood appeared in front of his eyes, his expression finally changed drastically.
Suddenly, a burst of crying came faintly from not far away, and he immediately came back to his senses and ran towards the place where the crying sounded.
Beside the creek, several men and women who were in a state of embarrassment knelt on the ground. Surrounded by them was a middle-aged man with a desperate expression, holding a blood-stained woman in his arms.
His pupils shrank suddenly, and he recognized that the desperate man was Zhou Mao, and the one in his arms was Mrs. Zhou Wen.
"Mother!!" The next moment, the familiar mourning and crying sounded. He looked over and saw Zhou Wanning lying on the body of the already exhausted Wen, weeping uncontrollably.
"It seems that the luck of Zhou Mao's family is quite good this time. Only one person died, even the half-dead Zhou Zhuo was fine." Shen Feng's regretful voice sounded behind him, and he turned around quickly, staring at He said, "Shen Feng, what is the difference between your actions and indiscriminate killing of innocent people!!"
After finishing speaking, without looking at him again, he raised his leg and walked towards the family.
Shen Feng sneered: "It's still helping Zhou's family until now, it seems that he is really stubborn!"
"You're wrong, it's not the Zhou family that he wants to help, but you!" The man's faint voice reached his ears, and he turned around, "Master Hou!"
Yun Fu didn't look at him, but looked directly at Zhou Mao's family who were crying in the distance, and said in a calm voice, "Zhou Mao has followed His Majesty for many years, even if there is no credit and hard work, His Majesty will never want to see him die unexpectedly. He If something happens, His Majesty will definitely not stand idly by."
"When the time comes, His Majesty will track it down. Shen Feng, how many lives do you think you will have? At that time, not only you, but General Xia behind you may also be implicated by you."
"Zhou Zhuo was seriously injured and fell into a coma, Murong Tao broke his leg and became a cripple, and now Mrs. Zhou's life is added, Shen Feng, you have done enough, even the dead in vain would want you to stop here, your dearest relative, Still waiting for your return."
"Go back! Bo Nian Jing'an is old, I'm afraid we won't be able to wait for a few years, the son wants to support but the relative is not here, such despair, even if you spend the rest of your life, you will not be able to let it go, don't let yourself regret it."
Shen Feng's lips moved, unknowingly, he also thought of the old father whom he had secretly visited a few days ago, his back was bent, his temples were gray, his old appearance was no longer the person in his memory.
The body in his arms gradually became cold, Zhou Mao lowered his head slowly, and pressed his face against the blood-stained delicate face, and the cries of his children sounded in his ears, but he seemed to have never heard it, his eyes were empty, and the whole portrait is lost soul.
"Father-in-law..." Wei Chenglin couldn't bear it, and called hoarsely.
Zhou Mao finally raised his head, looked at him fixedly, and murmured for a long time, "Retribution..."
After finishing speaking, he struggled to get up, and without help, let alone the calls of Zhou Chang and Zhou Wanning's brothers and sisters, he staggered and hugged his wife's body, walking farther and farther...
"Father, mother!"
The mournful cries resounded in the air and lingered for a long time...
The former Household Minister Zhou Mao's family suffered an accident on their way back to their hometown, and Mrs. Zhou died unexpectedly. Except for caring people, no one paid attention to it.
There are so many noble people coming and going in the capital, new things come and go, and the geese pass without a trace, who can remember who...
***
When the news that the Rong and Di royal families secretly united with the old tribe and intended to unite with Dongming to invade the Central Plains via Northern Xinjiang came back, the northern Xinjiang that had just been pacified for only a few years was about to rise.
For who should lead the army to quell the chaos, a fierce debate was launched in the court, and there were three candidates surrounding it, namely Duke Ying, Marquis of Zhenbei and General Xia.
Among them, the voices of the Duke of England and the Marquis of Zhenbei are the highest.
Wei Chenglin didn't pay attention to the courtier's recommendation to him, because Mrs. Zhou died unexpectedly not far from the capital, Zhou Mao and his family couldn't leave for the time being, so he had to return to Beijing, and took care of Wen's funeral in a low-key manner.
A few days ago, he sent his eldest son and eldest daughter to Zhou Wanning, hoping that the two children could comfort her for the loss of her mother.
He patiently coaxed his youngest son to sleep, looking at the teardrops hanging on his eyelashes, he felt sore and unbearable.
He caressed the little guy's tender face, tears filled his eyes unconsciously.
When his order to lead the army came, he was silent for a long time, finally got up, told the nanny to take care of his sleeping second son, went back to the study to get a brocade box, and went to Shiba Hutong alone.
Wei Chengzhao was a little surprised that he would come to look for him, but seeing that his face was haggard and his whole body was so thin that he couldn't help thinking about what had happened to him recently, he sighed secretly, and led him into the house.
"Your Majesty ordered me to lead the army." Wei Chenglin said calmly.
"At this time?" Wei Chengzhao frowned.
"I'm leaving now, I don't know when I will return, but I just don't worry about the three sisters and sisters. They have been brothers in the past, so I would like to accompany the second brother here, and ask the second brother to look at it for the sake of innocence. Take care of them for me."
After finishing speaking, he got up and bowed deeply to Wei Chengzhao, so that Wei Chengzhao got up and avoided in a panic: "Brother, you don't have to do this, I will do it!"
"Thank you!" Wei Chenglin thanked in a low voice.
No matter how much resentment, no matter how much unwillingness, Wei Chengzhao couldn't say a word of accusation after seeing the miserable situation of the brother he once admired the most.
"It contains the property of the fourth brother back then. Now, I would like to ask the second brother to return it to him on my behalf, and return it to the original owner." He took out the nuoda brocade box and gently pushed it in front of Wei Chengzhao.
Back then, Wei Chengqi exchanged everything he had for the life and freedom of his biological mother, Fang Shi. This brocade box contained what Wei Chengqi exchanged.
He has never moved in these years, and he doesn't know how to deal with it.
Although he hated Fang's ruthless methods and intended to frame his wife who was pregnant with Liujia, Wei Chengqi, Fang's own son, could not hate him, let alone hate him.
Even now, he doesn't want to think about why the once harmonious cousins have gradually become alienated in recent years. All he knew was that when he was desperate, the first person he could turn to was his cousin.
"Brother!" He turned and left, just as he stepped out of the threshold, Wei Chengzhao stopped him.
He stopped in his tracks and didn't look back. He only heard Wei Chengzhao's low voice, "Brother, you must take care of it! Don't forget that you still have three children. They have lost their mother, and they can't lose their father's care!"
He nodded invisibly, strode away without saying a word.
On the day when the army set off, Qiao Liu stood on the city wall with his hands behind his back and watched the army gradually go away. After a long time, he sighed in a low voice.
"People have already left, so what's the use of you sighing here? But I haven't seen you for a few years, and I never thought that the sixth master Qiao would become a mother-in-law." The woman sitting in the wooden wheelchair said with a half-smile.
Even though Qiao Liu was full of thoughts, he didn't know where to start for a while, so he simply put it aside, forced a smile and said: "Master Xu taught you the right thing."
Xu Sumin snorted coldly and ignored him.
At the long pavilion ten miles outside the city, Zhou Guanning held his son with one hand and his daughter with the other, staring blankly at the invisible army with tears in his eyes.
"Mother..." The sensible sister Xian gently shook her hand.
She suppressed her sadness, touched the top of her daughter's hair, looked at her son's tense face, and took a deep breath: "Let's go back!"
In this life, right or wrong, there is no turning back.
The battle in the northern border is not particularly difficult, at least for Wei Chenglin who has already fought against the Rongdi people. What's more, the Rongdi royal family and the Dongming people are suspicious of each other, and the foundation of cooperation is not stable. They only need to use small tricks to sow dissension, and naturally they can break through each other.
In less than a year, Wei Chenglin personally led the army, captured the remnants of the Rong and Di royal families alive, approached the territory of Dongming, and forced the Lord of Dongming to present the letter of credence that had been bestowed by generations.
The war subsided, and it was about to return victoriously, but Wei Chenglin's face was not happy, he led the horse, and sent his followers far away, one person and one horse walked on the quiet path.
This is the second time he has set foot on this land. Last time, there were his grandmother, his mother, and his younger sister in Beijing looking forward to his return, but what about this time
There was a heavy feeling in my heart for no reason.
Today, he has nothing but his three children. Perhaps after returning this time, he would resign from all his errands, and from now on he would devote himself to teaching the children, raising them to be truly upright men, just like their grandfather.
He let out a long breath, and was about to get on his horse, when he suddenly heard a shout from behind—"Wei Chenglin!!"
He subconsciously turned around, and suddenly felt a cold light, before he had time to react, there was a sharp pain in his chest, and a sharp arrow was stably inserted into his heart.
"Murong..." Blood sprayed from his chest, and when he fell into the river, he only saw a sharp arrow shoot out from another direction, hitting the chest of Murong Tao who was on the wheelchair and smiling, the laughter stopped abruptly .
"Wei Chenglin! Cousin!!" Shen Feng threw away the longbow, and galloped like crazy, wanting to reach out to pull him, but his fingers could only touch his fingertips, watching him fall into the turbulent river , but disappeared in an instant.
***
Wei Chenglin only felt his body heaving and falling, and his mind was sometimes awake and sometimes unconscious. When he finally opened his eyes slowly, he saw a slender figure walking towards him.
For a moment, someone came squatting in front of him, as if checking his wounds. He tried his best to concentrate his gaze, and finally recognized the other person's appearance.
"Ms. Huang..."
Huang Qingshu didn't expect that he would recognize her, she was silent for a while, and said calmly: "I'm sorry, I can't save you."
With an arrow piercing his chest and soaking in the river for such a long time, even the Immortal Da Luo couldn't save him.
"It's okay, I know I'm going to die soon." Wei Chenglin murmured, with a slight smile on his lips.
Huang Qingshu's eyelids trembled, and her heart, which had already been like a pool of stagnant water, suddenly fluctuated. She asked softly, "What unfulfilled wish do you have? I will try my best to fulfill it for you."
"Unfulfilled wish..." Wei Chenglin's consciousness gradually became lax, and he said dreamily.
In a trance, there seemed to be a picture in front of his eyes - the gray-haired father was holding his gentle mother with one hand, and there were also loving smiles on their faces. Surrounded by them, there are lively children one after another, either calling 'grandfather and grandmother' or 'grandfather and grandmother'. Among the flowers, a pair of Bi people came together, and in an instant, the cheers of "Daddy, Mother" came one after another.
The woman bent down and picked up her little daughter, smiling at her husband who was also holding his son. The picture freezes, the man is him, and the woman is Huang Qingshu.
"That's great..." He murmured, the corner of his mouth smiled deeper, and after a while, his hands finally dropped powerlessly.
British Duke Wei Chenglin died on the way back to court after the victory of the army.
The British government, a prestigious family of military generals, once again turned to decline.
At the same time, Emperor Yuanyou suddenly launched an attack on the Marquis of Zhenbei, depriving the Murong clan of the hard-earned title. After the British government, the former Zhenbeihou's mansion and the current General Murong's mansion are also rapidly declining.
Yunfu handed over the jar containing Wei Chenglin's ashes to Wei Chenglin and Zhou Guanning's eldest son, Brother Ming. Tears rolled in the eyes of the nine-year-old child, but he stubbornly refused to fall.
Yun Fu patted him on the shoulder, looked up at the blue sky, feeling at a loss.
Life and death, coming and going, kindness and resentment, all turned into a breeze, really coming naked, leaving naked...
A few months later, Zhongyi Hou Zhao Yunfu converted to Buddhism and became the closed disciple of Master Huiming of Lingyun Temple...