Yang's mother's heart skipped a beat. Things were developing in the direction she least expected. Wanting to salvage something for her son, she quickly pleaded in a weak voice, "It's all my fault. I deserve to die. I beg you, for Rui'er's sake, spare my son."
"You know you're wrong now? It's too late. I will not spare him," Wu Caiwei looked at them calmly. Although Yang's mother had indeed played matchmaker between Wu Qingzhi and Yang Zhongqing in this life, causing her harm, Wu Caiwei did not resent her for it. After all, she had her own destiny, and the two could never be together. The reason she treated them so mercilessly was that in the original owner's past life, she and Wu Qingzhi had colluded to torment Rui'er. One would think Rui'er was not her grandson.
"Aren't you afraid Rui'er will know you caused his father's death? Aren't you afraid he'll hate you?" Yang's mother racked her brain, trying to persuade her to save her son's life.
"Rui'er is a member of the Zheng family now. If he knew his father colluded with outsiders to kill all the Zheng family members, whose side would he take?" Wu Caiwei looked at them with a smile that was not a smile.
"How would you know about this?" In her astonishment, she inadvertently spoke her mind. By the time Yang Zhongqing realized what he had said, it was too late. He secretly regretted it.
Yang's mother looked at Wu Caiwei, then at her own son. She understood everything. It was likely that the downfall of the Zheng family was indeed related to him. No wonder he continued to rise in status after the Zheng family fell. The doubt that had been in her heart for many years was finally resolved. However, she could not be happy. This meant Rui'er would absolutely not stand by their side.
Yang's mother instantly deflated like a punctured ball, lying on the ground, tears streaming down her face. If she hadn't interfered back then, the two of them would have been as loving as ever. Even if she knew the truth, she would have hesitated to act. Rui'er would certainly not have sided with her. She hated Wu Qingzhi's sweet talk, hated her own complicity, and hated her son's ingratitude. It was all over now. Thinking that the Yang family would be without descendants, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell straight down.
When Yang Zhongqing heard the commotion, he rushed to his mother's side and gently helped her lie down. Seeing his mother's eyes wide open and unblinking, he felt as if she had died with regrets. He was frightened by his own thoughts. He extended a trembling hand to her nostrils. After a moment, he stepped back a few paces, sat on the ground, and looked at his mother's corpse, his eyes full of terror. He had never dreamed his mother would die like this.
Witnessing her death with her own eyes, Wu Caiwei turned and left. Yang Zhongqing was truly terrified this time. He crawled forward, grabbed her leg, and begged, "I really had no choice. The Emperor was the one who asked me. Could I refuse? There's a cause for every effect. You find him. Can you spare me?"
"I will naturally settle accounts with him, but you won't escape either. Without the Zheng family, you were just a commoner. The Emperor asked you, and you indeed couldn't refuse, but you could have leaked information to my father and my brother. My father treated you like his own son. Is this how you repay him? Worse than a pig or a dog." A large part of the original owner's tragic fate in her past life was due to Yang Zhongqing. At this moment, she could feel the immense hatred surging within her.
Wu Caiwei put a little force into her leg and broke free from his embrace. Looking at this spineless man, she couldn't understand how the original owner had fallen for him.
After walking a long distance, she suddenly heard earth-shattering cries from behind. Not only did she not feel sympathy, but she also felt a great stone lifted from her heart.
After crying enough, Yang Zhongqing went outside the city and used branches and bark to weave a simple bed. He placed his mother on it and, ignoring the strange glances of the onlookers, dragged her outside the city. Finding a suitable spot, he began to dig a pit with stones.
As he dug, tears couldn't help but fall. The world emphasized lavish funerals, but with his current conditions, he could only dig a pit for her, bury her simply, and mark the spot.
He couldn't help but give a bitter laugh thinking that when he died, he didn't know if anyone would collect his body. The ambition of his youth had turned into despair. Su Dan Novel Network.
When Wu Caiwei heard that Yang Zhongqing had become a beggar, she raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, and even more contemptuous of him. If it were her, she would definitely find a way, and there might even be a glimmer of hope, instead of giving up completely like him.
If he thought that because he was so miserable, she would let him go, he was mistaken.
Soon, Yang Zhongqing discovered that even as a beggar, he was not safe. If the food he begged for was better or more plentiful, other beggars would target him and block his usual route home. At first, he didn't understand the situation and would resist. Later, he realized that with his weak body, he was no match for them and was beaten severely. So, he learned to be obedient. No matter how much he was given, he would do his best to eat it, resulting in him eating one meal and going hungry for the next.
Despite this, as time went on, his body improved significantly. He thought that once his body recovered, no beggar would be able to bully him. He had endured such days for too long.
Just as victory seemed within reach, he was stopped by several men in black on his way back that day. Without a word, they began to beat him. Who would go to such lengths to deal with a beggar? It was clearly Wu Caiwei's doing. He had thought that after so many days, she would have forgotten about him, but it turned out she just couldn't bear to see him living too miserably, so she decided not to intervene.
They beat him so hard. He had no doubt they intended to beat him to death. He struggled with all his might, but unexpectedly, their martial arts were superior to his, and he was beaten even more severely.
After an unknown amount of time, they left. Yang Zhongqing slowly poked his head out. The alley was empty. He endured the discomfort in his body and slowly stood up, bending his back, and walked step by step towards the bridge.
As soon as he recovered slightly, he would be beaten again. He had to force himself to go out onto the street to wait for alms. After several such instances, he became despairing and numb. A few times, he had wanted to end his life, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Finally, on a snowy night, after collapsing, he never got up again.
When news of his death arrived, Wu Caiwei's writing hand paused for a moment, then continued as if nothing had happened.
They fulfilled their promise to Zheng Rui, having only one child in this lifetime. He inherited the Zheng family and the throne. Although his education was somewhat delayed, he was intelligent and persevering, often making the couple marvel at his innate talent as a ruler.
Over the past ten years, the couple had experienced hardships and joys, and the political climate was clear and bright. The people lived in peace and contentment, and foreign nations sent congratulatory messages.
When Zheng Rui was capable of handling affairs independently, they quickly abdicated and passed the throne to him. The couple then traveled throughout the empire. Of course, when they encountered injustice, they would intervene. Zheng Rui often determined their whereabouts through his parents' letters and local officials' memorials.
When they grew old and could no longer travel, they came to a royal villa, cultivated a piece of land, and lived a leisurely life, working from sunrise to sunset.