Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 830: Chapter 830: The Hen Crows at Dawn

The autumn rain incessantly drizzled down.

Mixed with the wind, it whipped up spirals, blowing down the yellow leaves that filled the garden, and adorned the land with a golden hue. On the big trees, which still clung to a few scattered dead leaves, several cold crows were cawing noisily, disturbing the mind and unsettling the heart. The wind, carrying with it thin, icy raindrops, chilled one to the bone.

It was as if they were accusing the heavens of injustice. This autumn rain had been ongoing for several days and had yet to stop.

Within the pitch-dark sky prison, Liu Sisi, with her eyes downcast, leaned against the wall, sleeping in a heavy stupor.

Even in her dreams, she slept uneasily, her brows tightly furrowed, showing no sign of relaxation.

Several days before, an Empress’ Edict had summoned her to the palace.

...

What she hadn’t anticipated was that the Empress wouldn’t bother with any pretense. As soon as her carriage entered the palace gate, she was directly seized and sent to this dark sky prison.

She had experienced fear and bewilderment, but within a while, the fear and bewilderment in her heart had gradually dissipated.

With the situation as it was now, what more was there to fear? Death extinguishes life like a blown-out candle, and the thought of dying actually eased her inner turmoil.

In her dream, she felt as if a pair of hands were gently stroking her head, wrapping around her waist, comforting her, caring for her, causing the corners of her mouth to lift involuntarily, and a captivating smile appeared on her face.

“Clunk, bang, clatter…”

A dull sound arose, and accompanied by the faint radiance of the torch, the heavy iron door of the sky prison was opened from the outside. It also revealed a face that Liu Sisi recognized.

The sudden influx of light made Liu Sisi dizzy, and after not having seen even the slightest hint of light for many days, the sudden glare of the torch caused her to instinctively raise her hand to block the blinding brightness.

“Unexpected, isn’t it? That we would meet again, and in a place like this?”

The Empress’ languid voice came through, her face wearing a hint of smugness, tinged with a bit of fatigue.

“It is unexpected, that Your Majesty would deign to visit here.”

Liu Sisi spoke indifferently, her face still as serene as ever.

For a moment, the Empress looked surprised, then she laughed: “It’s truly surprising that you’re just like her in this way. Even though you’re on the brink of death, you still pretend to be indifferent to its approach. It’s a pity, I am not one of those stinky men; I lack the gallantry to cherish and pity a beauty.”

Liu Sisi’s lips tightened slightly, then she broke into a smile: “Your Majesty hasn’t come to the sky prison today just to say these things to me, right?”

“Of course not, I must admit that I underestimated you,” the Empress sighed leisurely. “But I also admire you. It really is true that you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing the bait. To think that you would use your own child to save the children of others. Should I call you clever or foolish?”

Liu Sisi’s heart stirred. Did the Empress’ words imply that Di Xuan and Di Qiu were now safe?

With this in mind, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, then retorted, “Your Majesty is mistaken! They are all my children, how are there any children of others?”

In some sense, what Liu Sisi said was quite true. Regardless of who Di Xuan and Di Ying’s birth mother was, at that moment, they were her children!

The Empress’ eyes narrowed dangerously for a moment but then relaxed.

“Hmph! So it seems the fault lies with me, the Empress, after all. How difficult for you to have such a compassionate heart, if I were not to facilitate your desire, would I not be scorned by the people?”

As she spoke, she suddenly moved forward two steps and walked to the edge of the railing: “Guards! Throw them in for me!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The palace maid quickly complied, and within moments, Liu Sisi heard a clatter of chaotic footsteps; swiftly, two tiny figures appeared in front of her.

In just a few days, Niuniu and Chou Chou had drastically changed, the two children were disheveled, bound by thick hemp ropes, their little faces smeared like painted cats. Standing there swaying, they seemed extremely feeble, hardly able to keep upright, being prodded by the old women behind them, standing rigidly in place.

“Niuniu! Chou Chou, you…”

In an instant, Liu Sisi understood what the Empress intended to do.

She clenched her teeth so hard they creaked, but she bit her lip firmly, refusing to utter a word.

“Tsk tsk! Your children are indeed very well-behaved, they do not talk back or resist when beaten or scolded, and when punished by kneeling, they comply obediently. They only say they miss the Princess very much; for days and nights now, they have not touched a grain of rice. It seems they are truly filial!”

The Empress clicked her tongue repeatedly, a sound that ignited Liu Sisi’s rage!

“Your Majesty! Are you even human? They are just children, only four years old! To treat them so cruelly, do you still embody the paragon of maternal grace?”

“Hahaha… A paragon of maternal grace? Liu Sisi, oh Liu Sisi, should I say you’re too naive or too foolish?”

The Empress laughed heartily: “The Emperor is dead, so naturally, I am now the Empress Dowager of the Great Zhao. I’ve grown tired of the talk of maternal grace! Lin Xiner, oh Lin Xiner, in our last battle, have you not still lost to me? Hahaha…”

On hearing her mother’s name, a glint flashed in Liu Sisi’s eyes.

“What does this have to do with Lin Xiner?”

“You’re trying to catch me out with your words? Too bad! You’re still too green.”

The Empress, not taking the bait, commanded the palace maid beside her: “They boast of deep mother-son affection, don’t they? Throw these two bastards in for me. I want to see, having traded her own children’s lives for those of another’s, how she will explain all of this to her own children.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The palace maid hastily threw the two children into the sky prison.

“Niuniu! Chou Chou!”

The moment Liu Sisi saw her children, she lunged forward. The bulky chains on her feet made a clattering noise, and then with a thud, she fell to the ground.

Liu Sisi, undeterred, dragged the heavy fetters, inching forward, and finally managed to hold the two children in her arms.

“Chou Chou, Niuniu wake up, wake up, it’s Mom! Niuniu…” Liu Sisi kept patting the children’s little faces.

“Oh dear! Who would have thought that Ruyu herself would actually be capable of caring for her own children? I thought your conscience had been eaten by dogs, that you not only committed parricide but had plans for filicide as well!” the Empress said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Empress, they say only in her own home does a hen crow at dawn, such inversion of natural order leads to the ruin of both family and country. What is there to rejoice over in such an outcome?” Liu Sisi said, holding her children and speaking with loathing.