Chapter 441: Previous life: The general's mansion was ransacked and the clan exterminated—everyone sentenced to death!

Luo'er.

I've been looking for you for a long time.

I've been to many places.

This time, I finally came……

But I still came too late……

If you hear me, come back……

Luo'er, I'm waiting for you……

Come back quickly……

Luo'er……

Hurry home……We're all waiting for you……

Li Qingluo heard his muttering.

She involuntarily walked toward him, reaching out to touch his eyes.

However, a miraculous scene occurred.

Her hand unexpectedly did not pass through him as before, but actually touched his face!

Duan Rongshi seemed to sense something.

He immediately turned his face aside.

Luo'er?

Is it you?

He had only been murmuring before, so Zhui Yu and the others didn't hear him.

Now Duan Rongshi directly looked around like a madman and shouted out loud.

Luo'er!

Did you hear what I said?

Come back quickly——

Did you hear?

I, the prince, command you, come back——

Zhui Yu and the four others were so frightened their souls almost left their bodies.

Your Highness, could you really have seen a ghost?

And, Luo, Luo'er?

That's the childhood name of the true eldest daughter of the Li mansion!

Your Highness is confused; how could you discard your reputation and directly shout a young lady's childhood name?

Could Your Highness be possessed?

Look at Your Highness's frenzied appearance—if not possession, what is it?

Zhui Yu, who has been with Prince Su since childhood, has never seen Duan Rongshi behave so improperly.

It's practically more terrifying than being possessed!

The four exchanged glances, their hearts beating like drums, yet they dared not offend Duan Rongshi.

So they could only hurriedly gather around Qingyangzi.

Qingyangzi, is that still Your Highness?

Is it really our Highness himself? Should we perform an exorcism?

Exactly, exactly, Your Highness is too abnormal! Running to someone's house in the middle of the night, confiscating their property and not even mentioning it, then burning incense for the seventh day—no normal person would do that.

Besides, could there really be a ghost here?

Qingyangzi: "I've calculated it. He is indeed truly Your Highness himself."

Although there are some changes in the astrological signs, they pose no hindrance to Your Highness's official duties.

As for whether there is a ghost……

Qingyangzi looked at the faintly trembling copper bell, his pinching fingers also trembling slightly.

If it is truly a ghost, what then?

The ghost you fear might be someone's long‑thought‑of……person.

Zhui Yu almost turned and ran.

Could there really be a ghost?

This ghost is definitely a female ghost!

And it's clinging to their Highness!

Li Qingluo tightly embraced Duan Rongshi.

Although he cannot feel himself.

But she never wants to let go.

Duan Rongshi, how exactly did you come to my side?

I am truly astonished.

However, I seem to truly be unable to return.

Promise me, forget me, okay?

Live well and start anew.

No matter which world you are in, you must fulfill your wishes and avenge your mother……

If there is another life, I will surely get to know you sooner.

"I'll be your wife again…"

She finished speaking with a mournful smile.

She, lingering with reluctant affection, tiptoed and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips.

Duan Rongshi couldn't help but raise his hand, reaching toward his lips.

A single flake of drifting snow fell.

He stared alone at the pitch‑black firmament, feeling the void in his heart grow ever larger…

A cold wind blew, and the bronze bells rang out.

Duan Rongshi quickly turned his head, his eyes reddened, scanning the surroundings.

"Qingluo…"

When the sky brightened.

The seizure of the Li family had already spread throughout Jinling.

Prince Yun's Mansion hadn't even reacted when word came that the Great Justice Temple had held an overnight trial and sentenced Li Chao Jing to immediate execution.

Early that morning, Li Chao Jing was dragged to the entrance of the market.

Even as he cried out his innocence, the executioner cleaved him with a single stroke.

Li Kechuan was stared at by Duan Rongshi, while the four chief guards took turns subjecting him to brutal interrogation.

"Two years ago, did you murder a concubine named Mei Xue?"

"She was pregnant, yet you kicked her hard in the belly, and she died painfully in the firewood room! Yes or no?"

"I heard you also murdered your own sister?"

"Not only did you lock her in a shed beside the stables to freeze to death, but I hear she hadn't eaten for three whole days before she died!"

"Throughout the whole winter she never wore a coat nor was she covered with a quilt."

"Beast!"

"You favor that unrelated step‑sister so much—does that mean you have ulterior thoughts toward her?"

"Killing you instantly would be merciful; then taste the pain of others first!"

Various execution devices were laid out one by one, lining up to assault Li Kechuan's body.

When the final round never came down, he was painfully killed alive.

Li Qingzhu still fantasized that Prince Yun would come to rescue her.

But when Prince Yun went to the Great Justice Temple to inquire and learned of the charges against Li Chao Jing, he vanished completely.

In fact, still unwilling to accept it, he entered the palace once more.

After all, having played this long‑standing affectionate game with Liu Qingzhu, he still hadn't truly obtained anyone.

Yet when Prince Yun ordered a impeachment of Duan Rongshi for his reckless, lawless actions—making a hasty judgment without even submitting a sentencing—he had the man killed outright, only for Emperor Yan to lightly brush it aside.

At this point Duan Rongshi hadn't yet touched the Pei family, nor harmed Emperor Yan's interests.

A Jiangjun Fu in Dongyin Alley is merely a trivial, expendable official to Emperor Yan; he naturally doesn't care what madness Duan Rongshi has fallen into.

When the day comes that he needs to check this son, this incident can still serve as a lever.

Why now meddle with this knife for no reason?

Naturally, the sharper it is honed, the more handy Emperor Yan finds it.

Prince Yun Duan Rongxuan didn't dare to confront Duan Rongshi for real.

He was first rebuked by the Empress.

"Why are you now provoking him out of the blue?"

"The Empress knows your previous intentions, but since the Li family is so unclean, its exposure now is actually a good thing."

"Leave it, stop thinking about that fake heiress. You could go to the Great Justice Temple and ask if you can retrieve your betrothal gifts!"

After Prince Yun left, the Empress hurriedly wrote a letter to the Crown Prince.

With the deaths of Li Chao Jing and his son, the sentences for the rest of the Li clan were also decided.

Even Aunt Deng on the manor and the second and third branches didn't escape.

The entire Li clan was sentenced to death!

From the day they entered prison, forty‑two days later they will be hanged at the market by West City Gate!

Liu Qingzhu never understood, even at the moment she was hanged.

Why?

She was clearly about to become Prince Yun's concubine, to truly have her own life, yet why was she again entangled by the Li family into becoming a death‑row prisoner?

In the cell she complained, raged, and even went mad with Qu Shi.

She kept shouting, "It's all you—I couldn't become Your Highness Prince Yun's concubine, and now you have caused my death!"

"Had I known, I wouldn't have returned to this Jiangjun Fu!"

"I don't even bear the Li surname, yet you Li family dragged me into this calamity of a clan purge… I hate you!"

Qu Shi opened her mouth, stunned, and looked at her own heart as she said those words.

"Qingzhu?"

"You grew up in the Jiangjun Fu, enjoying wealth and favor… and now you say you hate us?"

"We're not family…"

Liu Qingzhu: "Who is family with you? Your true daughter is Li Qingluo, not me!"

"Mother, you were the ones who first caused her death."

"Now that we think about it, is it because you committed sins that the entire Jiangjun Fu suffered the clan‑wipe on the seventh day after death?"

Qu Shi, furious, slapped Liu Qingzhu hard.

"You shut up!"

Her chest rose and fell with anger.

She couldn't understand why she wouldn't even spare a little pity for her own biological daughter, yet in the end the one she dotes on is this kind of scum?

When great disaster struck, her true face was finally seen.

"Because of your feigned‑death trick, we shifted all the sins onto Luoer."

"We made her endure endless humiliation and torment."

"In the end, you truly accuse us like this?"

"Li Qingzhu, do you have any conscience at all?"

Liu Qingzhu covered her scorching face and retorted angrily: "The ones who are biased and show favoritism are you, the ones who torment and humiliate are you, the ones who drive people to death are still you. What am I supposed to do?"

"Mother, was I the one who placed the knife over your heads?"

"You are the ones who are ignorant, how can you blame me?"

"I was originally destined to become Prince Yun's consort… all because of you!"

Qu Shi stared blankly at Li Qingzhu.

Listening to her each piercing truth.

In her mind she recalled the things she had done to her own biological daughter.

Kneeling in the Spirit Hall, kneeling in the Ancestral Hall, cutting flesh and letting blood flow, forced kneeling, slaps, starving and freezing, enduring the cold stares and mockery of the household…

She was even frozen to death in the Ancestral Hall at the end!

Her Luoer had never even had a full meal.

She had never worn a brand‑new piece of clothing.

Her own biological mother had never even given her a proper glance.

Not to mention after returning she had never even held her once…

From birth she was deliberately taken away by Li Qingzhu's family, enduring torture and poverty in that mountain den on behalf of Li Qingzhu!

Originally, she should have been the legitimate eldest daughter of Jiangjun Fu!

But what did she get?

In this life she received only contempt, neglect, and all kinds of humiliating suffering.

Qu Shi's regret deepened the more she thought, and the more her heart ached.

She even vomited a mouthful of fresh blood.

In the end, those regrets pressed on her like a mountain, suffocating her, and she went mad, grabbing Li Qingzhu's throat.

"Since that's the case, let's die together!"

Li Qingzhu was almost actually strangled to death.

When the constable pulled them apart, Qu Shi's face was still full of angry resentment: "I was going to strangle you—it's you who let Luoer enjoy sixteen years of happiness, it's you who stole everything from Luoer—"

Since then, whenever Qu Shi went mad she would try to choke Li Qingzhu's throat.

Whenever Li Qingzhu tried to fight back or was nearly strangled by Qu Shi, the constable would appear in time and pull the two apart.

Even if she tried to act in secret at midnight, she would be caught immediately.

In the darkness it seemed as if a pair of eyes were constantly watching them…

Thus, besides the truly mad Qu Shi, Liu Qingzhu was also tortured beyond humanity.

She stubbornly stayed alive, still hoping in her heart that Prince Yun could save her.

The two shared a love as deep as the sea; Your Highness was even more devoted to her.

Your Highness even personally promised that in this life he would never betray Li Qingzhu.

Yet when she was hung on the execution platform with her eyes bulging, she never saw Prince Yun again.

On the contrary, members of the Liu family were also captured one by one.

They cried out in desperation and terror, unable to understand why swapping a child turned into a death sentence that would exterminate the whole family.