Chapter 750: Chapter 749: 749: The Price of Revenge

Wei Zangxiang angrily said, “For officials who fail to protect the people, they are despicable! What happened next? The bandits took you…”

“Although the bandits didn’t kill me, they wouldn’t let me go easily either.”

Wenren Zong’s voice deepened, and his gaze became painful, “Before my eyes, the bandits… they… Linghua, they…”

His voice choked up.

Wei Zangxiang’s face turned pale as well.

“Sixteen people, all sixteen of them.” Wenren Zong’s fingers almost crushed the bowl, as tears dripped into it one by one, “The bandits forced me to watch, to see Linghua being humiliated by each and every one of them.”

“Stop talking about it.” Wei Zangxiang raised her hand to wipe away her tears.

“Mother.” Wenren Zong closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks, “Even when the Wenren family’s property was confiscated and we were thrown into prison, I never felt as desperate and hateful as I did at that moment.”

Wei Zangxiang felt her son’s trembling, she patted his back, but she couldn’t find any comforting words to say.

After a long silence, Wenren Zong continued, “Linghua was tortured alive for a whole day. The bandits had gone mad, ignoring any protection orders, and tried to kill me as well. Fortunately, at that time, Prince of Zhao happened to pass by with his men, and he drove away the bandits, saving us both.”

Wei Zangxiang spoke softly, “Given the despair and resentment you felt at that moment, your wish to repay the person who saved you, your mother can understand.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“However, Linghua still died. She couldn’t bear the humiliation and the grief of losing her family, so she took her own life.”

“Poor child.”

“I vowed to avenge her.” Wenren Zong said, “But, Prince of Zhao… at that time, he was still the Crown Prince of Kang County. He volunteered to help me eliminate the bandits.”

“You must have succeeded.”

“We did in the end, but… at too great a cost.” Wenren Zong sighed, “The climate in Lingnan is hot and humid, and the terrain is complicated. The bandits had been entrenched there for years. It was very difficult, and even the Prince of Zhao was captured during the operation.”

“Ah.” Wei Zangxiang seemed surprised, “Even the Prince was caught?”

“Yes. The Prince was very handsome, and the bandits tortured him like they would a woman.”

“What?” Wei Zangxiang was shocked, “You mean, Prince of Zhao was, he was…”

Wenren Zong nodded slightly, “The Prince was not only humiliated but even, he was…”

“What happened?”

Wenren Zong clenched his teeth and said with great difficulty, “He was castrated.”

Wei Zangxiang abruptly stood up, “You mean, Prince of Zhao has become…”

Wenren Zong looked up and asked word by word, “Mother, if it were you, what would you do?”

Wei Zangxiang couldn’t speak for a long time.

“We eventually killed all the bandits and all of the Prince of Zhao’s followers.” Wenren Zong said, “At that moment, I swore that I would never betray the Prince of Zhao and do everything in my power to help him achieve what he wants. No matter the outcome, I will have no regrets.”

“Since the Prince of Zhao was… If the Emperor learns of this, would he still be eligible to challenge the Crown Prince?”

“I won’t say it. Mother, will you?”

Wei Zangxiang stared blankly for a while, then slowly sat down, picked up the decree severing ties and read it carefully for a long time, saying, “In a few days, you should find a place to move out. From now on, you’re not my son, and I’m not your mother. Whatever you do, I won’t stop you. If you win, the Wenren family won’t bask in your glory; if you lose, the Wenren family won’t be implicated by you.”

Wenren Zong stood up, knelt down for her, kowtowed three times, and whispered, “Your son is unfilial.”

Wei Zangxiang said nothing, her eyes closed.