kvmb Chapter 931 Hi, Dad, I'm your daughter!
Chapter 931 Hi, Dad, I'm your daughter!
Although Zong Que captured Yanjing, the great battle did not end so quickly.
After years of fighting, the more than a dozen cities in the north that were taken by the Great Yan, as well as the territories that were occupied by the Great Yan even earlier, will take some time to be fully incorporated into the territory of the Great Zhao.
With Zong Que stationed in Yanjing, this great war can only be considered temporarily over when all the occupied cities in the north have been recovered and the people of Dazhao who have been enslaved for so long have been freed.
Crown Prince Chongwen Zonghuai and the righteous men who had been imprisoned for many years were already extremely weak after years of both mental and physical torment. Even if they were rescued, they would not be able to withstand a long journey in a short time.
Zong Que had them first settled in the South Garden of the Yan Palace. According to the layout, this place should have been the East Palace, but neither of the two Yan emperors had the time to establish a crown prince. Therefore, the South Garden had been empty since the Yan Palace was built.
The Yan Palace was largely modeled after the layout of the Zhao Palace, but due to the vastness of the northern region, the final Yan Palace was much larger than the Zhao Palace.
After Zong Que personally led people to settle Zong Huai, he said, "I have invited people to help my uncle with his health. We will set off back to the capital after my uncle has recovered."
Zong Huai stood at the window, gazing at the scenery outside, feeling a sense of disorientation: "This place feels a lot like the Eastern Palace."
Zong Que nodded: "Yes, but it's twice the size of the Eastern Palace."
Zong Huai had lived in the East Palace of the Dazhao Imperial Palace for many years, just as Zong Que had.
Sometimes, fate and destiny seem to have a strange resemblance in the unseen world.
Just like Zong Huai and Zong Que, their fates were almost the same. Both were highly regarded crown princes, deeply supported by officials and loved by the people, and both suffered setbacks in their positions as crown princes. However, their final fates were ultimately different.
Zong Huai paid the price with 25 years of imprisonment, while Zong Que survived by the skin of his teeth and accomplished what neither of them could.
"Ah Que, may I call you that? Before your mother passed away, I received a letter from her through various channels. She mentioned you to me with great pride. She said she believed that what we were unable to accomplish, you would one day accomplish, and asked me to wait patiently." Zong Huai recalled the past and wanted to smile, but his face had been indifferent for too long, and even such a simple gesture as a smile was difficult for him to express.
“Of course, setting aside your royal lineage, you are still my uncle, a respected elder,” Zong Que replied.
“Ah Que,” Zong Huai said slowly after a long silence, “I won’t go back to the capital. I’ve been away for too long. I’m afraid the world has changed, and I’m too old to walk anymore.”
"I have no regrets as I have witnessed peace throughout the world."
There have never been brothers in the royal family.
Twenty-five years had passed, and Zong Huai certainly understood why this imprisonment had been so long.
The one in the capital probably never intended for him to return.
Twenty-five years ago, for the greater good of the nation, for the stability of the Zhao dynasty and its people, he had to make a choice, sacrificing his entire life for it, and he had no regrets.
Having made his choice, now that the country is finally at peace and the great war is about to end, he has no choice but to make another one.
He was already the crown prince of the previous dynasty. If he were to return now, it would surely cause turmoil. He did not want internal strife to arise just as external chaos had subsided.
This is not the outcome he wanted to see.
So he decided not to return to the capital.
He had been waiting for this day all his life, for the day when the world would be at peace. He had finally achieved it, and he was content with his life.
No regrets.
But is there really no regret?
"Uncle, please take care of your health first. We can discuss other matters before we set off." Zong Que did not directly agree to Zong Huai's request, but said with a smile, "I have found you a divine doctor, known as Little Immortal Doctor, from Medicine God Valley. He will surely be able to cure your illness."
Zong Huai turned to look at Zong Que, who took a step back, turned to the side, and called out towards the door, "Aren't you coming in?"
Wen Qingqing, carrying a medicine box, hesitantly poked her head in from outside the door and asked tentatively, "Should I really come in?"
Zong Que nodded, "It's up to you."
After saying that, Zong Que left the room with a faint smile.
Wen Qingqing, carrying the medicine box, walked up to Zong Huai, looked her over with a hint of curiosity, and muttered softly, "It seems my dad doesn't have three heads and six arms like the legends say!"
Zong Huai's calm and composed face couldn't help but show a slight ripple at this moment. Hearing these words, he subconsciously looked at Wen Qingqing, a very cute and lively girl who looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Her eyebrows and eyes clearly resembled the person in his memory.
He hesitated before speaking, "You..."
Wen Qingqing stood up straight, carefully extended her hand, and waved to Zong Huai. "Hi, Father! Nice to meet you. I am your daughter, Wen Qingqing. I also have another name, Wenren Qingqing. My mother said that the surname Wenren might cause me trouble outside, so she told me to be more discreet."
Zong Huai looked at the lively and adorable little girl in front of him. Although the face was not very similar, he seemed to see the shadow of that girl from his memory in his slowly moist eyes, open-minded and bright.
“You really…” Zong Huai’s voice choked again. He couldn’t believe that he would have such a big daughter. Just when he had long since become indifferent to life and death and fate, God suddenly bestowed a gift upon him.
Wen Qingqing thought he didn't believe her, so she hurriedly touched herself and then awkwardly spread her hands: "I don't seem to have any token to prove that I am your daughter, but my mother said so, and I think she wouldn't lie to me. Her name is Wenren Jing, you should be quite familiar with her. Oh, and also, although I look a little younger, I am already twenty-three years old, a little older than Aque."
Zong Huai's tears fell uncontrollably. He had never actually doubted it, because Wenren Jing disdained to lie about such things, let alone hide them.
A year after he went north as a hostage, his father passed away, and Zong Lin ascended the throne with the imperial edict.
Wenren Jing and Yan Chengyue used all the connections and resources they had at the time to come to the North to rescue him. The two had a wild night together. When they woke up, Wenren Jing asked him if he wanted to go with her.
He refused.
He knew the matter was settled; Zong Lin had already ascended the throne. If he left, he would be breaking the agreement between Yan and Zhao. Even if it didn't necessarily lead to another war, he couldn't gamble. He couldn't risk his freedom for the fate of the nation, nor could he stand by and watch war rage and the people be displaced.
He cannot gamble even a one in ten thousand chance.