Chapter 509: Chen Zhao Extra Story (Third)_3
 

At this time, my second cousin had already become a concubine in King Cheng’s palace.

Later on, King Cheng plotted a rebellion, but it was exterminated by the governor’s troops.

With the fall of King Cheng, all his followers were captured and thrown into prison, awaiting execution in the autumn.

However, my family was taken for individual interrogation by the governor.

The governor sat behind his desk, asking why my parents had killed my third sister.

My mother collapsed on the ground, unable to answer, and my father found himself unable to speak as well.

The governor asked again, and then my mother, trembling, made up a reason, saying that she did it out of anger for him.

I saw the governor smile, with a wave of his hand, someone brought in my eldest sister.

The governor told my mother that as long as she strangled my elder sister on the spot, she could save her own life.

Without thought, my mother agreed, taking off her belt to strangle my elder sister.

My elder sister struggled desperately, but her hands and feet were pinned down, she was unable to escape.

As my mother sobbed, she tightened her belt, but my sister wouldn’t die.

Watching this horrific scene in terror, I collapsed on the ground, unable to move.

After what seemed like an eternity, my older sister was finally strangled to death by my mother.

The governor laughed out loud, his chilly gaze shifting toward me.

Tears streamed down my face, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.

My younger brother wet himself in fear, babbling nonsensical words and cursing erratically.

From somewhere, I found the strength to hug him, covering his mouth.

After strangling my elder sister, my mother seemed quite dazed.

True to his word, the governor let her go, and me as well, but he didn’t spare my father and my brother.

My mother and I were sold in the human trafficking market — I was bought by a foreign merchant, and she ended up in a brothel.

Several years later, I heard that the governor had become the regent, powerful beyond measure.

There were rumors that the regent loved whirling dances, and all the favored concubines in his mansion were whirling dancers.

But he had no children and didn’t establish a queen.

The images in my dream stopped abruptly at that point.

I woke up abruptly, my heart still pounding rapidly.

Looking up at the mosquito net above me, I pinched myself hard.

Thankfully, it was all a dream, and I was not a concubine but a proper married woman.

My brother was safe too, not beheaded.

And as for my father, he was also fortunate enough to be alive.

I got out of bed and woke up my husband. “It’s not dawn yet, where are you going so early?”

I glanced at him and softly said, “Just heading out for a walk.”

My husband immediately sat up and put on his robe. “I’ll go with you.”

So, we went out into the courtyard and looked around.

The streets were wide. Lanterns hung at the doors of the inns, flickering on and off.

Thinking about the scenes from my dream and then looking at the reality, I felt a sense of surrealism.

“It’s cold outside, let’s go back.” My husband took off his coat to drape it over me.

I nodded. “Okay.”

Hand in hand with my husband, we returned home.

The days that followed were peaceful and content.

My grandparents lived to the age of ninety-nine and died peacefully without any illness.

My father lived into his eighties. On his deathbed, he grabbed my brother’s hand and called out for my mother.

I knew, although my mother had a bad temper and often hit us children, she was good to my father, giving him all her love. Only a tiny bit of her conscience was left for her children.

When even that conscience was gone, she could ruthlessly kill any one of her children.

My father was a heartless man, selfish, dark, and incapable, even towards his own son, he didn’t have much affection.

He and my mother, they were a perfect match.

I watched my father take his last breath, his hand still tightly clenching my brother’s sleeve.

“Change his clothes soon, it’ll be harder to do so later.” The funeral director urged.

I handed over a set of mourning clothes that had been prepared earlier and walked out of the room.

Kneeling under the divine tree, I prayed silently for my father to find my mother in the underworld so that they could be together forever.

Several years later, as I was on my deathbed, I saw my third sister Yingbao again.

She still looked as young as if she were a young girl, while I was becoming elderly. Even after consuming the age-keeping pills, as a mortal, my body was still decaying.

I took Yingbao’s hand and said, “Little sister, don’t resent our parents, nor our elder sister, they’ve already paid the price.”

I wanted to tell her about the dream, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.

Yingbao, full of compassion, gave me a red pill. “Eat this, and you’ll live for another fifty years.”

I shook my head but took the pill anyway, intending to give it to my husband.

He was the one who spent the longest time with me in this life, giving me more than my parents ever had.

I had nothing to give back to him, so this was the best I could do.

Yingbao said nothing and waved her hand, bestowing upon me the Eternal Spring Technique.

It brought me some relief, but I knew, the lifespan of a mortal is limited, and my time was nearly over.