roccoschili Chapter 116 Dragon Travels the World 3
Chapter 116 Dragon Travels the World 3
“Young lady, please put on your clothes and go home right away! Tonight, just pretend you were never here. Go back and live your life as usual,” He Yaozu said earnestly.
Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes reddened, and she pleaded pitifully, "Young master, my mother is bedridden and urgently needs this money to save her life. Please, young master, have mercy and grant this young lady's filial wish."
He Yaozu: ......
What a world!
Her mother, wanting the He family to have an heir, used money to buy her daughter's sacrifice. What seemed like an exchange of benefits was actually the oppression of the poor by those in power.
In this incident, the girl was clearly the victim, yet she displayed immense humility in front of him.
He Yaozu sat cross-legged, his posture upright, his eyes fixed straight ahead on a brick wall in front of him. He said in a gentle tone, "Don't worry, I'll tell my mother to give you the money. You should go back now."
The cell fell silent. The girl seemed to be hesitating, but he had his back to her and couldn't see her expression. After a while, he heard her slightly choked voice from behind him: "Young master, you are a good person!"
After a rustling sound subsided, the girl dressed and walked briskly out of the cell and into the distance.
Only when the footsteps could no longer be heard and the surroundings returned to their previous silence did He Yaozu slowly exhale, turn around, look at the wide-open prison door, get up, pick up the chain that had fallen to the ground, and fasten the old door, making sure to lock it with the padlock facing inwards.
From this moment forward, no one will be allowed to enter this cell again!
Now we just have to wait three days, then the beheading will be the end of it.
Honestly, having faced countless life-or-death situations, he had never actually been beheaded. This time, he wanted to see what it felt like.
He Yaozu lay back down on the straw, ready to take a nap, but just as he closed his eyes, he heard hurried footsteps again, accompanied by crying, and stopped in front of his cell.
"Bring glory to your ancestors!"
Damn it!
When He Yaozu opened his eyes again, he saw his mother leaning against the cold prison door, tears glistening in her eyes. Her gaze was a mixture of deep heartache, intense guilt, and indescribable helplessness.
He Yaozu quickly got up and walked to the prison door.
He's a human being! Humans have feelings!
In his previous lives, he was deeply wary and indifferent to this world he had transmigrated to, strictly controlling his emotions and never engaging in much emotional exchange with others.
But this life is different!
He began this journey as a toddler, and the memories of the following twenty years were sealed away, during which time he had built deep bonds with the people around him, and the tree of emotions had long since taken deep root and flourished.
He has fully integrated into this world. Even though his past memories have resurfaced, his attachment and deep affection for his parents still linger in his heart and have never diminished.
The moment He saw his mother, He Yaozu felt an uncontrollable urge to stay.
Looking at her son, He's mother couldn't help but shed tears. "Yaozu, I know you hate me, and you should hate me. It's all my fault that you've ended up like this. I'm responsible for this situation even if I die a thousand times."
"You hate your mother, and I don't blame you, but I beg you, please leave an heir for the He family!"
???
Should we leave some incense sticks for posterity?
Lost in his emotions, He Yaozu was suddenly jolted back to reality by these words and asked incredulously, "Mother, what did you say?"
"Mother begs you to preserve the He family line, otherwise the He family line will end."
Upon hearing this, the emotions surging in He Yaozu's heart instantly dissipated. He was unusually at a loss for words, and he touched his nose to cover it up. He carefully considered his words and tried to speak in a calm tone:
"Mother, is your sorrow at this moment because your child is about to be executed, or because you are worried that the He family bloodline will be extinguished?"
He could rationally understand his mother's actions, but emotionally he was unwilling to accept that he was being used by his mother as a tool to continue the family line.
Mother He was taken aback by his question and her tears fell again. "Yaozu, I can't just stand by and watch the He family line die out. I have no choice! Please promise me."
He Yaozu's emotions were shattered by his mother's words.
He quickly regained his composure, his emotions subsided, he steadied himself, and then returned to his usual reserved and composed demeanor, his face as calm as still water.
"Mother! Your son has been sentenced to be executed in three days..."
“It’s one month! The king has already postponed the sentence to one month later.” Mother He quickly interrupted him.
Postponed to a month later?
He Yaozu paused for a moment, then immediately realized a fact.
The king, Sima Yulong, did not want to kill him!
He Yaozu's mind raced. Having been an emperor, he immediately considered the matter from a political perspective and quickly realized that because of his status, this matter was no longer simply a matter of dealing with it according to the law.
Although he has now been sentenced to death, the most serious crime is nothing more than colluding with the Dragon Slayer Society to assassinate the king, but he did not harm anyone in this case.
This charge is very workable. The king is not currently harmed. If the king can just raise his hand slightly, he can avoid death and even get his father to work even harder for him.
Although the king has now secured his throne, due to the previous rectification of wrongs, most of the officials who colluded with the Ye family have been removed from the court. The court is now in dire need of people and needs to rebuild.
His father, He Zhengjie, was a staunch royalist who protected the people of the region during the Ye family's rebellion, guarding the state for fifteen years and waiting for the young master's return.
Such a good official and loyal minister enjoyed extremely high reputation and prestige both in the imperial court and among the common people.
As the only son of a highly respected, capable, and loyal regional official, although he was not in officialdom, this incident had taken on a political significance for him.
The father, He Zhengjie, dedicated his life to the country and its people, remaining honest and upright. Now, he has personally sentenced his only son to death, which further proves his selflessness.
If the king were to watch such a good official painfully kill his own son, it would inevitably chill the hearts of other court officials, and a rift would inevitably develop between the king and his ministers in the future.
Conversely, if the king could spare him, he would reap huge benefits in court, making his father and his faction more loyal, and other courtiers would cheer for having such a benevolent and magnanimous king.
However, if the king lets him go because of this, he will be condemned by the people as an official protecting another official.
He had previously presented himself as a complete social scoundrel, abducting women, murdering their fiancés, and committing the grave mistake of assassinating the king. Strictly speaking, it would not be an exaggeration to call him a traitor who would exterminate his entire family.