I have already established my power and prestige, so how did Li Shimin come back to life?

"But we were so hungry that some of us had no other choice but to think that maybe...maybe this is a way to survive."

As she spoke, she tugged at her hair, a hint of despair in her eyes.

“They went and never came back. When it was our village’s turn, no one in our village wanted to come back.”

"Later, the Wang family called a lot of people and surrounded our village."

“I watched helplessly as my sister was taken away by them. She kept crying and calling my name, but I… I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Song Jingshu's tears fell like beads from a broken string, wetting her cheeks.

"When they left, they gave us a small bag of food. They said they pitied us, but that small bag of food wouldn't last our whole family even a day."

"After my sister was taken away, I wanted to go to the Wang family the next day to see how she was doing."

"Yeye said that he would risk his life to bring his sister back."

"But the next day, before my father could go, the Wang family came again. This time they wanted to take my mother away."

“They said it’s not fun with just my sister, so they need to bring another one.”

Song Jingshu's body trembled even more violently, her eyes filled with terror. Her eyes were wide open and bloodshot, like those of a frightened wild beast.

She covered her head with both hands, as if trying to hide herself.

“I went to pick wild vegetables that day, and when I came back I saw them arresting people, so I hid. I watched my mother being taken away by them, and I… I was so scared.”

Her voice had become hoarse, and every word sounded like it was being torn from her throat.

“When I got home, my father told me to report it to the authorities, saying that the imperial court would definitely stand up for us.”

"I was worried, so I followed Ye Ye from a distance. But... but I saw that Ye Ye never came out again. It was two yamen runners who carried Ye Ye out."

“They said that Yeye was overestimating himself and dared to sue the Wang family. After they left the city, they just threw Yeye’s body into a mass grave. There were many corpses in that mass grave. I found my older sister and mother there. They… they were both dead.”

Song Jingshu was already sobbing uncontrollably.

“I covered them with leaves because I was afraid the Wang family would arrest me too. If I were arrested, I wouldn’t be able to seek justice for them!”

“My father once told us that we all have two fathers: one is our own father, who is just my father, and the other is His Majesty.”

“My father said that His Majesty is the father of all the people in the world, and His Majesty will protect us.”

Song Jingshu raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears as she looked at Li Chengqian, her gaze filled with expectation and pleading.

"But the Wang family told my father that even if he went to Chang'an, His Majesty would not care. They are the Wang family of Taiyuan, and Taiyuan belongs to them."

“They said we were just pigs and dogs in Taiyuan, and that they could take whatever they wanted from us without anyone standing up for us.”

As she spoke, she wiped away her tears with her hand, but the tears continued to flow.

“I was not convinced, so I secretly left Taiyuan by myself. I kept asking Chang’an for directions, and I kept walking and walking for a long, long time. I didn’t dare to stop because I was afraid of being caught and taken back.”

"We just kept walking and walking, for a very, very long time."

"Then I met Brother Lu. He was a good person. He bathed me, treated me to food, and even took me to see His Majesty!"

A flicker of gratitude crossed Song Jingshu's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by sadness.

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian's eyes were filled with pity. He looked at Song Jingshu's frail body, clenched his fists tightly, and his knuckles made a "crackling" sound from the force.

His hatred for the Wang family of Taiyuan intensified. His body trembled slightly, as if he was trying his best to control his emotions.

"Your Majesty, I've been away for so long, I originally came to give you a piece of my mind."