Chapter 115 The Truth

When the gatekeeper handed the post to Zhao Luli, he was still immersed in thousands of thought and could not extricate himself. Although he vaguely grasped the hint, he dared not to pull the truth out, and his heart was full of confusion. Seeing the name post, he was stunned for a while before realizing that it was the name of Emperor Sheng Yuan, and his anger immediately surged up.

“Having the honor of Your Majesty’s presence, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He personally welcomed the person into the door and brought him to the study. He seemed to ask respectfully.

“Sit down.” Emperor Sheng Yuan took the lead sitting in the main seat, and then pointed to the seat next to him, “Zhen want to talk to you about the past.”

Zhao Luli’s heart tighten, and for some reason, he had the urge to grab the door and run away, but out of his will he had to sit down and said hoarsely, “Back then you promised to take good care of Ye Zhen, but I didn’t expect that it was only a few years, and you abandoned her like a shoe. The Ye family was controlled by Ye Quanyong, what do those sins have to do with her? You have already seized the Ye family, why are you still not letting her off? Her temperament is weak, her body was infected with snake venom, she earn her life. Considering how much she sacrificed for you, you should also give her a good home, why did you throw her out of the palace and leave her with no way out?”

Emperor Sheng Yuan tapped on the table, and immediately a guard served a jar of spirits and two wine cups. He swatted open the clay stopper and poured the wine slowly, his resolute and handsome face gradually turned cold, as if he was considering how to answer, also seemed to be reminiscing about the past.

Where Zhao Luli had the mood to drink, he said coldly, “Have you made a good excuse for your ingratitude? Because of you I lost my first wife, and because of you I lost my second-wife. Perhaps I owe you in my last life, otherwise, why can’t I escape you?”

Emperor Sheng Yuan pushed the wine cup in front of him, said with a light tone, “Drink a cup first, and let the blood heat up. After we finish what we’re going to talk about, Zhen worried your heart will be so cold that you won’t be able to bear it.”

Zhao Luli’s eyes flickered, he repeatedly clenched his fists and repeatedly released them, and finally took the wine cup and drank it all. Sure enough, it was a rare spirit, it went down the throat like a knife, scraping uncomfortably, and felt like a fire when entered the stomach, making his five internal organs churning, actually burned his heart full of confusion and doubt.

“What do you want to say?” When he spoke again, he was as steady as a mountain, and his expression was calm.

“First of all, Zhen has to clarify one point. The reason why Zhen promise to take care of Ye Zhen is for the sake of life-saving grace back then. If this life-saving grace becomes a plot of assassination, why should Zhen take care of Zhen’s enemy? Zhen only released her from the palace and did not skin her alive, is already considered a mercy.”

“What assassination’s plot?” Zhao Luli’s voice began to tremble, the hand holding the wine cup exerted its strength fiercely, and his knuckles turned white.

“Remember when Xue The Thief set up an ambush at Panyun Pass to kill Zhen, among them, there were 200 elites and dozens of experts. Zhen fought hard to break out of the encirclement, but was bitten by the poisonous snake released by the expert and rolled down the mountain stream. it was at that time that Ye Zhen, who happened to go Panyun Pass to visit you, accidentally met Zhen, then she sucked out the snake venom and placed Zhen outside the pass, thus saving Zhen’s life. The expert who assassinated Zhen is now in Zhen’s hands, and he also the murderer who poisoned the Zhao family and Ruan shi. Guess what? Back then, he not only took Xue The Thief’s silver to buy murder, but also Ye Quanyong’s silver to buy life. Xue The Thief wanted Zhen to be dead, but Ye Quanyong wanted Zhen to be half-dead, so the half-dead Zhen ran into Ye Zhen, who was greatly merciful and compassionate.”

Zhao Luli stared at the man in front of him, speechless for a long time.

Emperor Sheng Yuan continued, “When Zhen returned to the army alive, Ye Quanyong that bastard even gave all his family wealth very obediently. He was in control of food, forage, medicinal materials and other necessary supplies during the war, and Zhen was so poor at the time, so where could have the reason to refuse? And because of Ye Zhen’s life-saving grace, Zhen supported his caravan. However, in a few years, what he gave away was earned back, and doubled several times, this business is really a small capital but huge profit! ”

He took a sip of from his wine cup, his eyes were a little empty, “Zhen arrested Ye Quanyong, but his daughter rescued Zhen, so Zhen let him go, and still protected the Ye family caravan everywhere, paid back this kindness while making profits for the soldiers. Unexpectedly after two years, Zhen actually met her again on the way to make a surprise attack in Yanjing. She just said a few more words to Zhen, and your father’s advisor slandered and said with certainty that Zhen must have fallen in love with her, and asked your father to offer beauty to gain wealth. Since then you hate Zhen, and hate your father and mother, but look who that person is?”

Zhao Luli followed his fingertip to see that advisor he wanted to find and kill, but inexplicably disappeared. Standing beside him was an expert in a Miao clothing. The two of them were tied and full of scars, but because they were wearing a cloak, they had not been noticed by others.

Without waiting for Zhao Luli’s interrogation, the advisor who had already suffered enough torture fell to his knees and begged for mercy, come clean with the whole story of that year, “General Zhao, please spare this one life! This little one was instructed by Ye Zhen to do that. She learned from you about His Majesty’s route for the surprise attack on Yanjing, and she waited since early morning in the middle of the road, trying to use the hand of old Marquis Zhao to climb the high branch. She deliberately pretended to have an affair with the emperor, let this little one lead the old marquis to see it, and the old marquis really believed it. He hated her for being unfaithful to you, but he couldn’t afford to provoke the emperor, so he sent her away!”

“Enough! Shut up!” Zhao Luli smashed the wine cup in his hand, and immediately made the man’s head bleed, he then kept quite out of fear.

However, Emperor Sheng Yuan was still drinking leisurely, and when his heavy breathing calmed down a little, he said, “Since Zhen sent Ye Zhen back, how many times has she try to die? This is her old trick. Back then in Zhen’s tent, she only tried to hang herself three times, saying that her chastity had been lost, and she had no face to see you. However, in fact, Zhen has never touched even a finger of her. She only had to get dressed and get on the horse, and naturally there would be soldiers who would risk their lives to send her back. But she didn’t want to, no matter what Zhen said she still didn’t want to.”

He stared at Zhao Luli and said word by word, “Back then, as long as you come to look for Zhen and said that you want to take your wife back, Zhen would certainly granted what you wished. However, you didn’t come, not only did you not come, but you also missed the war because you got drunk, causing the loss of two cities, causing rivers of blood. From then on, Zhen didn’t want to explain anything to you, conveniently left Ye Zhen behind, and took the infamy of taking courtier’s wife by force.”

Zhao Luli pressed his hands firmly on the table, as if there was a ten thousand pounds burden on his shoulders, which would shatter his body.

Emperor Sheng Yuan poured another cup of wine, drank slowly and said slowly, “Look at how well she calculated? Everyone was sorry for her and indebted to her, so they have to give everything for her. However, Zhen don’t want to be a fool anymore and sent her to you, consider it as fulfilling your wishes.”

The scenes of the past were replayed in his mind, and all the unclear doubts and details were now all solved. Zhao Luli’s eyes changed a few times, and he finally realized, “Your Majesty, since you already caught these two people and learned the truth long ago, you can tell me when you send her back, so that I will not be deceived, and will not be separated from Madam, but you didn’t. It was only today when Madam and I were separated that you came to the door and said these words. What are you trying to do?”

“What Zhen trying to do, didn’t you already guess it?”

Zhao Luli laughed lowly, “What a good comrade! I couldn’t blame you for that incident back then, but today’s matter, it must be you who was pushing behind the scene. Did you fall in love with my wife? Since when? Why do you always like to take things by force? Why are you always make things difficult for me? Although I have committed a lot of sins, but you can ascend to the throne, I also made great contributions.”

Emperor Sheng Yuan sneered, “Take things by force? If Zhen is still Hunnar from back then, and not Huo Shengzhe today, Madam would have been taken back to the palace long ago, how can still have a chat with you here? Zhen has never forced Madam, she’s not reconcile with you in order to cling to the imperial power. You should know exactly how she is, if you didn’t make her heart die, if you didn’t hurt her deeply, even if ten Ye Zhen came, she would not retreat. The reason why you lost her is not because Zhen was pushing behind the scene, it’s because of your own sin!”

He got more angry as he spoke, and scolded, “The reason why Madam married you is because Ye Zhen instructed Zhao Chunxi and Liu shi to encourage you. If you hadn’t intervened in the middle, she would have become a Zhaoyi, and now may have become the empress, the mother of the country. Where would she stay in the Zhao Mansion and be humiliated by you? Ye Zhen was supposed to be your wife, and Madam was supposed to be Zhen’s empress, now just returned everybody to their position, that’s all.”

He stood up, pushed open the door and went out, saying as he walked, “For the sake of comradeship of that year, Zhen will give you another wake up call, Ye Zhen is not a fuel-efficient lamp. The reason why your mother seriously ill is not because of excessive worry, it’s actually poisoning. The antidote is hidden in Ye Zhen’s house, you can send someone to search it. Your wife, Zhen has already returned it to you, and these two accomplices are also left at your disposal. These words have been held in Zhen’s heart for many years, and today finally spit them out. You can hate Ye Zhen, you can hate Zhen, but you can’t hate Madam, she doesn’t have the slightest thing to apologize to you. Even if Zhen never get her, still won’t allow anyone to misunderstand her!”

Zhao Luli chased down the corridor and watched the tall figure of the man melt into the light gray twilight. He finally gritted the root of his teeth and shed a trace of blood. Gone, everything is gone! The beautiful memories he carefully cherished turned into malicious deception and extreme exploitation. After finally realizing the truth, without thinking of how to make up for it and try remedy it, he went straight to feeling all hope were in vain.

He thought that losing Ye Zhen was equivalent to losing everything, but he couldn’t see that the most precious treasure was actually in his hands, but he smashed it again due to a moment of hesitation. Why heaven always make a fool of people? No, the only one who make a fool of people were themselves. He couldn’t blame anyone for exchanging treasure for filth, he could only blame himself for his blindness.

Thinking of his mother, he did not dare to regret any longer, and immediately asked his subordinates to escort the Miao expert to Ye Zhen’s room to find the antidote. The Ye family valued profit over righteousness, and Ye Zhen who had nothing else naturally was very possessive over the dowry left in the mansion. At this time, she was holding the account book to count everything carefully, and afraid she would not return until the middle of the night.

Zhao Luli who was not alarmed anyone, pushed open the door and looked around. Sure enough, he found a wooden box from the hidden compartment of the wardrobe and asked the Miao person to identify it. All kinds of tortures have been endured, and that Miao person dared not hide it. After consulting the old madam’s condition, they immediately found the antidote and handed it over to the doctor who came in a hurry to check.

The doctor confirmed that the antidote was non-toxic, then let the old madam swallow it with water, and she recovered after only half an hour. She then opened her mouth and said, “I want my daughter-in-law! Quickly get my daughter-in-law back! If there is no Suyi looking after my old age, I will not be able to close my eyes when I die! You unfilial son, when Ye Zhen came back, I asked you to send her away as soon as possible, but you didn’t listen, you just didn’t listen! This is good, this is really good, I can immediately die here, and go down to find your father to sue your sin…”

The howl of sorrow shattered Zhao Luli’s heart, and also shattered his last trace of feeling for Ye Zhen.

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