After transmigrating into the body of a stepmother, I led the villains in a rebellion.

After hearing Lin Shu's reason, which was hardly a reason, Qi Tianshun and the others all had tears in their eyes.

The reason was simple, yet it provided them with a way out.

Aunt Qi didn't know how to thank Lin Shu, so she instinctively reached out and grabbed Lin Shu's hand, saying sincerely, "Thank you, Lu family daughter-in-law."

Lin Shu shook his head without hesitation. "Aunt Qi, didn't you tell me to come to you if I needed anything?"

This statement implies that Lin Shu is willing to accept her favor; if she needs something from Aunt Qi, then Aunt Qi will naturally need to contact her as well.

Aunt Qi understood the meaning behind Lin Shu's words and burst into tears of joy. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. "Then wait for me a moment. I'll pack up and go with you."

“Okay, I’ll go home and pack up too. See you at the village entrance later,” Lin Shu said to Aunt Qi before turning and walking toward the Lu family’s courtyard.

When she returned, both Madam Ji and Lu Zijin were in the courtyard.

Lin Shu briefly told the two of them, then got up and headed towards the town.

When Lin Shu arrived at the village entrance, Aunt Qi had already changed into clean clothes and was waiting there with a bamboo basket on her back.

Upon seeing Lin Shu, Aunt Qi smiled and waved to her.

The two got into Uncle Liu's oxcart and headed towards the town.

No sooner had Lin Shu and Aunt Qi left Qijia Village than Lu Shiyuan and Ye Xiang appeared there.

That day, after Lu Shiyuan chased after the assassin, Ye Xiang followed closely behind him.

Who knew that Lu Shiyuan would disappear into the night after running out of Qijia Village, and it wasn't until Ye Xiang found Lu Shiyuan again in a deserted place.

At this moment, Lu Shiyuan had regained his senses.

He asked him what had happened during his coma, and upon learning that all his brothers had been killed, the usually ruthless man's eyes welled up with tears.

His eyes, filled with cold stars, were ignited by the flames of hatred. The night wind tousled his dark hair, but it could not extinguish the raging fire in his heart.

His clenched fists trembled slightly, a testament to the endless grief he felt at losing his brothers and loved ones.

The entire Lu family of 138 was wiped out overnight, and all 50,000 brothers who had shared life and death with him and fought for the country were also killed.

This was more painful for him than being skinned alive; the angry voice spurted out from between his teeth, "How dare they..."

Thinking of all his brothers in the Ironblood Legion, Night Chancellor's hatred level also rose steadily.

He couldn't understand why the general, who went to the battlefield at the age of thirteen and risked his life for his country, would meet such a cruel and inhumane end.

How disheartening!

One can imagine what the general was thinking.

"General, please accept my condolences. Our brothers are still waiting for you to avenge them."

Lu Shiyuan, his eyes red-rimmed, looked at Ye Xiang and asked, "What about the Emperor?"

Ye Xiang glanced at Lu Shiyuan and said truthfully, "Ever since the Empress disappeared, the Emperor has been despondent and is currently under house arrest by the Crown Prince..."

After hearing Ye Xiang's words, Lu Shiyuan's last hope was completely extinguished.

He closed his eyes in despair, and when he opened them again, they were cold and devoid of any hope. "Now, besides you, are there any other brothers still alive?"

Ye Xiang: "Yes, they have all been imprisoned by Mo Yunwei in Langya Mountain. They are being controlled with drugs and forced to reveal your whereabouts and the hiding places of the other brothers."

"They attempted to annihilate the entire Iron Blood Legion. Once the general's news reaches the capital, I estimate that they will all be killed by the Crown Prince to silence them."

“Therefore, we must rescue all our brothers before my message reaches the capital,” Lu Shiyuan already knew the outcome.

Ye responded, "Yes."

Who would have thought that the high and mighty Crown Prince would be so ruthless?

The reason he deliberately kept them around was to lure Lu Shiyuan into a trap.

Now that the general's whereabouts have been exposed, keeping them around is useless, and their only fate is death.

After all, this is a technique that Mo Yunwei often uses.

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Shiyuan's eyes as he looked toward the capital, his voice filled with piercing hatred.

He both conquered and destroyed this country.

If one day the country he fought so hard to build becomes a prison for the people to suffer, he wouldn't mind destroying it with his own hands.

"Mo Yunwei, I must use your blood to pay tribute to the souls of my 50,000 Iron-Blooded Legion."

Upon hearing Lu Shiyuan's words, Ye Xiang's long-suppressed emotions burst forth instantly.

In this endless despair, they finally caught a glimmer of hope.

"Before you set off for Langya Mountain, come home with me first," he said, adding that his family was waiting for him there.

Upon hearing him mention his family, Ye Xiang recalled a significant event: "General, while you were unconscious, they arranged a marriage for you."

When the topic of marriage came up, Ye Xiang hurriedly added, "But please rest assured, my wife is outstanding in both character and talent. She is not only highly skilled in medicine, but also exceptionally good at martial arts."

"Even this time when Mo Yunwei sent people to assassinate him, it was she who helped him out of danger."

“I know,” he thought, as if a gentle voice was always whispering in his ear during his coma.

Although they had never met, he could already sense her temperament and character from her words.

It was thanks to her meticulous care and tireless efforts that he was able to wake up from his coma.

Seeing that he already knew about this, Ye Xiang did not mention it any further.

The two then mounted the horses left behind by the assassins the previous night and hurried towards Qijia Village.

When they arrived at the entrance of Qijia Village, they happened to see an oxcart slowly driving away and gradually disappearing into the distance.

Without pausing for a moment, the two headed straight for the Lu family's courtyard.

Looking at the unfamiliar and simple thatched hut in front of him, Lu Shiyuan felt an indescribable pang of sorrow.

He never imagined that his family would fall into such a state of destitution while he was in a coma.

Just as he was lost in thought, a sudden exclamation came from the courtyard.

“Father,” Lu Zijing’s excited and childish voice came through the simple fence gate as she ran straight toward him.

Her bright eyes were filled with surprise and delight at him.

Looking at Lu Zijing running towards him, Lu Shiyuan felt as if he were in another world.

It all seems like it happened just yesterday. Back then, Lu Zijing was still an infant in swaddling clothes. I never imagined he would grow up so much in the blink of an eye.

He instinctively opened his arms and caught Lu Zijin running towards him, calling out, "Ajin."

As Lu Zijing shouted, a series of urgent sounds came from inside the bridal chamber.

Immediately afterwards, Lady Ji ran out of the bridal chamber with a look of panic on her face.

When she saw Lu Shiyuan carrying Lu Zijin into the courtyard, tears of excitement and anticipation instantly welled up in her eyes. "A-Yuan, you're finally back!"

God knows how long she has been waiting for this day.

Every time she felt desperate and had nowhere to turn, it was this belief that sustained her.

Now that he is standing right here in front of me, it all feels like a dream.

Lu Shiyuan put Lu Zijin down and knelt before Madam Ji, saying, "Aunt, I'm sorry to have worried you."