Chapter 97: The Unbearable Pain of Overindulgence

  Du Qing's involvement made Li Yuanba's past with other wives seem trivial and insignificant. This doesn't mean that Li Yuanba was tolerant of all his other wives.

  Du Qing, Du Ling Yue's sister, though not biological but more like a real sister. Since childhood, she has experienced the hardships of war and has been following Ling Yue as a maid since Du Fu Wei brought her home. After Ling Yue's death, she quietly took care of Li Yuan Ba and became his wife, fully supporting him in everything he did, becoming the last piece of pure land in Li Yuan Ba's heart!

  His other wives became his lovers for various reasons, but in terms of character, they all belonged to the type of strong women who had their own opinions and were not in favor of Li Yuanba's actions that exceeded their imagination, and even opposed them!

  If it were done by another wife, a severe scolding would be unavoidable!

  Li Yuanba and Du Qing returned to Li Xing's imperial palace, the ups and downs of emotions made Li Yuanba feel disheartened. Looking at his granddaughter who was generous and righteous, Li Yuanba lazily waved his hand, not even having the thought of scolding her!

  Li Yuanba wanted to let it go and not pursue it anymore, but someone still insisted on their own ridiculous love.

  "Grandfather, this time I know I'm a bit out of line, but I have the right to pursue my own happiness! I request that you strip me of my princess title and open the borders so I can go find my own love!" Li An steeled herself, seeing her grandfather's thunderous expression had dissipated, with both her father and beloved grandmother present, she gained confidence.

  "Is there something out of place? ... ... Xing Er, what do you think?" Li Yuanba suppressed the sudden anger that emerged and asked his son's opinion in a light tone.

  "Ah! But please, Father, you're in charge!" Li Xing was very surprised, but he was really uneasy inside. He kept pulling on his daughter's hand, responding with a "whatever", but turned his head to give her an almost pleading look, hoping she wouldn't provoke his overbearing father again. After all, Li Xing had always been afraid of Li Yuanba, and the time he was beaten nearly to disability had become his nightmare!

  Those who can become strong women are a type of stubborn personality, they will persist in what they think is right regardless of the consequences, either failing or succeeding, and even if they hit a wall, they won't regret it!

  Since Li Anke in her twenties thought this was a rare opportunity, she naturally wanted Li Yuanba to nod, anyway, she didn't make any mistakes!

  "Grandfather, granddaughter is willing to give up everything, but please grandfather can agree with granddaughter's only request!" An Ke struggled free from her father's hand and still insisted on her own views! In fact, she was now possessed by a demon, not that she had to go find the wolf-like prince in her heart, but because she found that even her own happiness couldn't get people's recognition, she hated herself, also hated her father as the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and even more hated the overbearing grandfather Li Yuanba! Now she just wanted to throw away all restraints, so she could fly freely!

  "An Ke, how long do you want to make trouble? Grandma begs you not to make any more trouble! What's the difference between this and being possessed by a demon?! Don't let your father and relatives be embarrassed, okay?" Du Qing, sitting next to Li Yuanba, felt his anger rising, and as his clenched fist began to shake, she was afraid that he would hurt their granddaughter, so she quickly begged her not to make any more trouble!

  "No! I won't take it anymore! I'm fed up with all these rules and restrictions! I want to be free, I want to be free!" Anke finally burst out.

  Li Yuanba's anger finally erupted! An Ke, this child, has been spouting all sorts of rules and regulations that make no sense. As a beloved granddaughter of Li Yuanba, who dares to impose rules on her? Even if there were rules, they would be ones she imposed on herself. Why blame others for that? In front of him, she puts on a demure face, but behind his back, she's arrogant and reckless, manipulating others at will. Who has ever said anything about her? She looks down on the strong people of the Tang Dynasty, but fawns over a weak foreign prince. All those in the know are helping her deceive Li Yuanba; even the latest research on national defense is being smuggled out according to her whims! Is disagreeing with her so-called happiness just a matter of mouthing empty rules?

  Want to be free? This is similar to the actions of those brain-dead people in later generations who try to get rid of their parents! Under the overindulgence of their parents, they run away from home or do brain-dead things that make people and gods angry at the slightest dissatisfaction, leaving behind eternal sorrow that is not like a family.

  "Enough! You scoundrel! When have we ever restricted your freedom?! Do whatever you want, give you whatever you want! The things you've done behind my back, killing you a thousand times wouldn't be enough according to the laws of Tang Dynasty! The most profitable business in Tang Dynasty has been monopolized by you, how many people have been forced into poverty and separation from their families?! Do you think your grandfather is blind?! Without us relatives supporting you, where would you get your legendary cultivation, who would dare not speak out against you?! This time, directly selling our newest weapon, who in the world has such freedom as yours?! Your freedom cannot be described by lawlessness or recklessness, yet you still dare to shout for freedom?! For a piece of trash, where have you placed me? Where have you placed our Tang Dynasty?! I, Li Yuanba, went into battle, but what faced me were our own Tang Dynasty's weapons that hadn't even been equipped yet, the very same weapons we produced ourselves became the instruments of slaughter for our soldiers on the battlefield... What face do you have to show to the soldiers who shed blood and fought for our Tang Dynasty?!..." Li Yuanba said this, his heart skipping a beat! He turned around to see Du Qing already crying uncontrollably, her divine-level cultivation rapidly declining, a sign of scattered energy!

  Du Qing had a lingering sense of guilt in her heart when she and Li Yuanba returned. She was worried about her granddaughter and hadn't thought deeply about it, but Li Yuanba's words made her realize that this guilt was due to her granddaughter's pleas, which had pushed the Great Tang to the opposite side, including her loved ones, son, and others!

  As the son of the Tang Emperor, she unwittingly betrayed her country's interests as a mother; As the beloved Li Yuanba went to war, she became a supplier of weapons for the enemy as his wife! What kind of deep sin is this? If these weapons were to harm Li Yuanba, where would that put her...

  Always the most loyal supporter behind Li Yuanba, suddenly became the biggest enemy! How could Du Qing, who had been supporting Li Yuanba for nearly a hundred years, accept this? The intense self-blame accelerated the process of scattering her skills, and the beautiful woman in her twenties suddenly turned into an old woman with white hair!

  In just a few short breaths, Du Qing had reached her final moments!

  "Qing Er!" "Mother!" "Grandma!" Three different urgent voices rang out!

  Li Yuanba swiftly picked up Du Qing, looking at the already no longer clear and muddy eyes, unable to find that warmth in his heart, only filled with heartbreaking self-blame!

  "With a... with an apology, in a hoarse voice of an old man in his twilight years, instead of the clear and melodious voice he once had, Du Qing, over 110 years old, walked to the end, carrying with him the regret of not being able to show his best self to his loved one."

  Life is fragile, and life and death are only in an instant! Du Qing died too suddenly, suddenly like a daydream, so unreal!

  Li Yuanba held Du Qing and sat on the ground, muttering to himself: "Why is it like this? I said nothing was wrong, why are you still blaming yourself? I said nothing was wrong, how can you bear to leave me! It's really nothing, really nothing at all..."

  "Mother! Why did you leave like this? Open your eyes and take one last look at your son! Ah~~~~~~~" Li Xing rushed forward to hug his mother's feet, the sudden loss of his mother was unbearable, he couldn't accept that she had left just like that, all he could do was cry helplessly...

  "Grandma, I don't want freedom anymore, I don't want anything! Grandma, come back... Li Anke stared blankly as her grandma lost all signs of life in just a few breaths, and suddenly she had nothing to hold on to, only regret..."

  But it's too late for her to regret now!

  Li Yuanba came back to his senses after hearing An Ke's voice, not because he was heartless but because he had experienced too many such things! The anger in his eyes made him raise his right hand at once, but when he looked at Du Qing in his arms, the anger dissipated and only coldness remained.

  "Get out!" He kicked away his son beside him, stood up and gazed calmly at the crying but still standing An Le Gong Zhu, pointing a finger that broke her Qi Hai!

  "Strip this scoundrel of all his rights, put him under house arrest for life, I don't want to see her again!" After giving the cold order, he hugged his lover's bones and flew back home!

  Li Daoxuan, who had been anxiously waiting to see how his third brother Li Yuanba would deal with his reckless and arrogant niece, heard on the same day that his sister-in-law Du Qing had dispersed her cultivation and died, and Princess Anle was stripped of her title and imprisoned for life, and returned home in a despondent mood.

  Li Yuangui, who had always been a good brother and partner to him, noticed that he was not in the right mood, so he went to find Li Daoyuan that night to ask what was wrong.

  "I was wrong to Third Brother! When they came to me to do this thing, I should have stopped them, but I thought that even though the latest research and development of this weapon couldn't threaten our legendary high-level masters, helping out wouldn't affect our battle situation! But on the battlefield, the power combined with energy made me realize, I was wrong! Wrong to an extreme degree! A hundred-year-old like me still doesn't understand things like a child, I should die! Li Daoxuan's face is full of self-reproach and regret, a wrinkle that no one notices quietly crawling up to the corner of his eye..."

  "Ah! The Huo Shen Cannon was something the two of them and you colluded on without telling them?! No wonder Sister-in-law... But it shouldn't be like this! Why would they provide weapons to that small country? And didn't Third Brother announce a blockade on all our research results back then? Someone like Sister-in-law wouldn't keep secrets from Third Brother, right!" Li Yuanji still doesn't know the inside story to this day, only knowing that his nephew Li Xing seemed to have some urgent matter a few days ago and hastily left the imperial palace for home.

  "Ask your good grandnephew to come, I really... regret! Later... regret...!" Li Daoxuan's voice grew weaker and weaker until there was no sound at all!

  "Sun's niece? Which one? Is it An... Daoxuan?! Don't scare me! What's wrong with you?! Disperse your energy?! Damn it! You bastard, you scoundrel! Li Daoxuan, Li Daoxuan! Someone, come quickly...!"

  On the same day, two legendary figures of the Tang Dynasty died! One was the wife of the God of War, and the other was a powerful and influential minister. Both were among Li Yuan's closest people. Those who know about Li Yuan's deeds are all guessing what kind of storm will be stirred up in the Tang Dynasty this time...