The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 488 Why can't he rest in peace even in the underworld?

The old man cursed angrily: "A slap is too lenient, I'd like to beat you to death!"

He grabbed the man by the collar.

"What is this place?"

Do you know why this place is a hillside?

"The ground beneath your feet lies a grave of tens of thousands of bones!"

"Too many people died during the famine back then, and the mass graves were too far away. Not to mention other places, just from what I know, there were many mass graves in the four surrounding cities! This is one of them. Every day, truckloads of corpses were brought here, and the deep pit was gradually filled in. But the corpses kept coming in, and in the end, they piled up into a slope."

"What imperial envoy Zhou Qin? He is clearly a heinous scoundrel."

The old man was furious, spitting as he spoke. But he was also hungry and anxious, and his vision blurred with dizziness.

Wei Jiajun quickly stuffed another handful of beans into his mouth.

The old man felt like vomiting.

He's already this old, why waste food? This young man should keep it for himself!
But the beans smelled so good.

He couldn't help but chew and swallow.

After swallowing it, I realized what was happening, but I couldn't vomit it up.

He had no choice but to continue yelling at the man.

"If he hadn't embezzled the disaster relief funds, and instead used them to make the cheapest, lowest-quality coarse grains into porridge, the people wouldn't have asked for much. If they could eat three-tenths full each day, they wouldn't have starved to death. Do you know how many people could have survived, and how many wouldn't have died emaciated?"

“You little beast! Have you forgotten? Your grandparents starved to death. They couldn’t bear to eat a single bite, saving their food rations for you! That’s how you survived.”

"You're telling me now that Zhou Qin is Zhou Qin and the Fifth Prince is the Fifth Prince? Ha, what a joke."

His voice echoed across the hillside.

"You remember this: anyone associated with Zhou Qin is your enemy, the enemy of the four cities that suffered from famine!"

The roaring water, accompanied by the howling wind, sounded like the weeping of the deceased.

Those who had experienced famine all wore expressions of deep sorrow.

An old woman stood under a tree not far away, with her rescued grandson beside her.

She knelt on the ground and dug a shallow pit with her bare hands.

My fingers were cracked, mixed with dirt and blood.

The old woman was completely unaware.

When they had dug up enough, they picked up the unidentified bones they had retrieved earlier, put them back in, and then covered them with mud.

"Grandma, what is this?"

Chang Ge'er was completely bewildered.

The old woman's voice trembled: "They are people just like us."

She sighed deeply.

"Why can't you rest in peace even in the underworld?"

The river below the slope is raging, and there are probably more than just this one skeleton washed out.

She murmured, "So many years have passed, yet you still die with your eyes open?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

With Wei's army involved, all sorts of rumors circulated among the public. Moreover, public opinion was overwhelmingly against the royal family.

Emperor Ying Qian made swift and decisive arrangements to mobilize officials, and made ample preparations.

He finally had a chance to catch his breath.

Consort Li massaged his shoulders from behind: "Your Majesty has devoted so much effort and energy to the Great Jin Dynasty. Once this matter is resolved, the people will surely be filled with respect and gratitude."

Emperor Qian loved to hear flattery.

He also felt that he deserved to be called a wise ruler.

Even so, he whispered a rebuke.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

"I, the Emperor, reside in the highest palace, yet my heart is with the people. Is it not only my duty to put the common people first?"

Consort Li hurriedly replied, "It's because I don't know how to speak."

She said, "To be in a position of supreme authority yet always maintain reverence, to reside in the imperial court yet never forget the hardships of the common people—no virtuous ruler surpasses this."

Emperor Yingqian smiled, pulled the person to his side, and reached out to touch her lower abdomen.

"I haven't been able to attend to you and your son these days. Has my son been obedient?"

Consort Li chuckled, "He's been making quite a fuss these past few days, probably because he's worried about His Majesty and also concerned about those innocent people."

Emperor Ying Qian scoffed.

What does it know while it's still in the womb?
However, he wouldn't blame Consort Li for her little schemes.

"Your Majesty."

A dark figure entered from outside.

"General Wei requests an audience."

He added, "Young Master Xiao has also come."

Emperor Yingqian's eyes churned with emotion, and his hand, which had been resting on Consort Li's lower abdomen, tightened slightly.

Consort Li was in pain.

He withdrew his hand and asked gently, "What's wrong?"

Consort Li was slightly taken aback. When she looked up, she met Emperor Yingqian's seemingly concerned gaze. For some reason, a chill suddenly ran through her. She quickly lowered her head and said, "No... nothing."

Emperor Yingqian nodded: "That's good. Guizhi is here. If there's nothing else, you may leave."

After Consort Li left, Wei Zhao entered.

Emperor Yingqian couldn't figure out why he had entered the palace, but when he saw that there was another person besides Wei Zhao and Xiao Huaiyan, Emperor Yingqian's face showed obvious emotional fluctuations.

He got up and went to receive it as usual.

"Why is Guizhi here?"

Xiao Huaiyan, being a playboy, spoke up: "Your Majesty, I'm a grown man standing here, why do you only have eyes for Wei Zhao?"

Emperor Yingqian looked at him with displeasure.

"Just seeing you gives me a headache, what good could it be?"

Xiao Huaiyan muttered indignantly.

"If I hadn't run into him on the road, and my father hadn't insisted that I come along after learning that he had entered the palace, I wouldn't have bothered to come."

Emperor Ying Qian was not surprised.

Xiao Huaiyan is already married, and the Marquis of Zhongyong only has this one son, so how could he not make plans for him?

He probably wanted his son to be around him more, to say nice things, and to get an official position – that would be ideal.

He knows it.

Since childhood, Marquis Zhongyong had compared Wei Zhao to Xiao Huaiyan. He thought Xiao Huaiyan was only good at indulging in pleasure and was inferior in every way. He had been beaten up over the years, not only because he deserved it, but also because Marquis Zhongyong felt that Xiao Huaiyan deserved to be beaten up after comparing them.

The two had a father-son relationship and a childhood friendship. They kept in touch, but Xiao Huaiyan was more or less jealous of Wei Zhao.

Humans are base, as Emperor Qian understood.

Otherwise, why would Xiao Huaiyan prefer to hang out with his cronies all day?

Sure enough, Xiao Huaiyan was very unconvinced: "I don't know what's so good about him. He's sickly and weak. Can he be as healthy as me? Come to think of it, I've spent more time with you than he has."

These words should please Emperor Qian.

Isn't this just saying that Wei Zhao died young?

But his expression darkened.

"Shut up!"

Xiao Huaiyan became obedient.

Wei Zhao had a medicine box on his lap, which he smashed to the ground as Emperor Yingqian approached.

Oh no.

He didn't hold it properly; his hands were shaking, and he was weak, so he fell.

With a thud, the medicine box fell to the ground, its contents—full of medicinal herbs, diagnostic and pharmaceutical tools, and a celadon container filled with various pills—all rolled onto the floor.

The celadon porcelain shattered and fell to the ground.

Pills of all sizes fell to the ground, and a few rolled to Emperor Yingqian's feet, successfully stopping his path.

Wei Zhao was sickly and spoke slowly: "Oh dear."

"I hope I didn't frighten His Majesty."

Xiao Huaiyan started yelling again: "What's wrong with you? If something happens to the Emperor, can you bear the responsibility?"

Emperor Yingqian stamped his foot and looked at Wei Zhao scrutinizingly.

"Never."

Wei Zhao: "Your Majesty has frightened me."

"It's my fault for not being composed enough. Seeing Your Majesty's current withered state, and looking at you closely, you seem to have aged several years since the last time I saw you. The burns on your body are also particularly..."

Unsightly.

It's really disgusting.

He then changed the subject, expressing his heartfelt sincerity.

"Since you fell injured, I have been extremely anxious."

Emperor Yingqian saw that Xiao Huaiyan was just trying to get an official position, and his eyes lit up as he quickly flattered, "Me too."

Wei Zhao was not interrupted at all and continued to worry: "I toss and turn and cannot sleep. I wish I could take my place."

Xiao Huaiyan: "I tossed and turned even more and more insomnia than he did."

Wei Zhao: "Your subject..."

Not finished yet.

Xiao Huaiyan, annoyed by his slow pace, clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, he's saying exactly what I feel!"