Lan Gao-Ye was stunned and shoved Han Pei-Yang forward. "What are you doing just–"
Before he could finish his words, Han Pei-Yang toppled off his feet and rolled down the stairs. When his body stopped by the emperor's feet, the people found he was already reduced to a corpse a long time ago.
The ministers and officials who sided with Lan Gao-Ye realized the situation was dire and paled. They tried to run away but their exit was blocked by none other than the general's wife. By his side were 8 men yet they didn't diminish the gher's momentum. Bai Liang pointed at them with the tip of his sword. "Seize them."
Wang Ke led his subordinates to restrain the ministers and officials while Jiang Si-Nian went to seize Lan Gao-Ye. The group of people were dumbfounded, not understanding what was happening at all.
Lan Gao-Ye didn't practice any martial arts and couldn't defend himself. Seeing Lan Qi-Yuan standing by the sideline, he roared, "What are you doing standing there in a daze!? Help your father, you useless son!"
Lan Qi-Yuan answered with a shut of his eyes. Lan Gao-Ye realized he had been betrayed as he was brought to his knees in front of the emperor. He couldn't believe both of his sons turned their backs on him. "You bastard! You betrayed me! You deceive your own father! How did I raise such ingrates!? One is a whore and one is a snake!"
Huo Zhang's face darkened. Without needing any order, Jiang Si-Nian pulled back Lan Gao-Ye's hair and forced his jaw open. Huo Zhang took out his dagger and stepped forward.
Everyone except Bai Liang and the emperor turned their face away as Lan Gao-Ye let out an ugly scream. His broken cries filled the hall for a long minute that felt like an hour. The ministers and officials who conspired with him were forced to watch by Huo Zhang's subordinates until they pissed their pants.
Huo Zhang dropped the filthy tongue in front of its owner and returned to the emperor's side. Lan Gao-Ye slumped to the floor with blood pouring incessantly out of his mouth. His body convulsed from the pain, and his eyes had long lost their focus.
"Prime Minister, We and Our ancestors have entrusted Our affairs to your family from generation upon generation," the emperor tonelessly said. "We do not know if it is Our negligence or your greed that causes you to deviate from your family's path of faithfulness. For the sake of your ancestors' undeniable contribution, We will give you time to repent and beg for their forgiveness before your execution tomorrow morning."
Once his words fell, Huo Zhang's subordinates drew their sword and decapitated the rest to their death. The head eunuch led the people in kneeling and praising the emperor for his magnanimous heart.
After they were pardoned to rise, Bai Liang stepped forward. He politely showed the Heavenly Star Bow in his hands to the emperor. "Your Majesty, this was stolen from the treasury by Commander Han."
Those who knew about the Heavenly Star Bow's weight were shocked to see Bai Liang carrying it like it was nothing and couldn't help but recall the dragon's words towards Huo Zhang.
Tian Qing-Shan inwardly warned himself to never wrong the Huo household in the future, particularly Madame Huo. Not only he would be attracting the wrath of heaven, he would also suffer at Huo Zhang's hands.
***
Following the emperor's order, Lan Gao-Ye was executed the next day under the public's eyes. The deeds he had done were read through and through from the report Lan Qi-Yuan gave to Huo Zhang. He couldn't deny anything with his tongue already removed.
One of his crimes was murdering the Northern War God's child. Bei An, who was invited by Bai Liang and Huo Zhang, watched unblinkingly as the executioner delivered his blade and sent Lan Gao-Ye's head rolling.
A traitor's family inevitably suffered equal punishment and the Lan bloodline, both the main and side families, was met with retribution. Bai Liang survived since he was no longer a Lan after he married Huo Zhang, and Lan Qi-Yuan was spared for his cooperation in exposing his family's evil deeds.
It took some time to take care of everything properly, but as Bai Liang speculated, it was all settled by the following year. The day the snow melted, Huo Zhang claimed Bai Liang's promise and the Huo household closed their door for a week straight.
With the dragon's approval, the emperor abdicated his throne to Tian Qing-Shan and went his merry way to spend the rest of his life in his retirement palace with his empress and concubines.
A month after his coronation, Tian Qing-Shan married Yu Shen-Jia and officially made him his empress. Although he still filled his harem under the imperial court's persistence, he never touched or visited them. He appointed one of them to manage the affairs of the harem as the imperial concubine. For better or worse, his harem was the most harmonious imperial harem recorded in history.
Father and Mother Huo were delighted when they were informed of their son-in-law's pregnancy. Tian Qing-Shan also sent health nourishment to the Huo household to ensure the baby's safe deliverance.
Almost all members of the imperial court witnessed what happened at the rite and tacitly agreed to treat the Huo household with utmost caution. They were grateful from the bottom of their heart that the general only had eyes for his wife and never coveted power.
After 9 months of conceiving, Bai Liang finally experienced his first childbirth. Fortunately, there were no complications and the healthy baby boy was delivered smoother than any of the labour assistants had ever witnessed.
Still, Huo Zhang was too distressed watching Bai Liang give birth that he became traumatized to make a second child. Funnily enough, the reason why he was only a single child was because Father Huo had the same trauma after witnessing Mother Huo give birth. Like father like son.
They named their first child Huo Li-Yang and he grew to be a man of formidable strength, intelligence, and charm under his parents' nurturing. The Huo household became very lively as the father and son often fought for the madame's attention.
When Huo Li-Yang declared to his matchmaker that he wouldn't choose anyone inferior to his mother, they could only cry in their heart that it would be easier to teach a pig how to fly. Your mother was a genuine immortal fairy, alright!?
A war broke out in the twentieth year of Tian Qing-Shan's reign when a new tyrant was crowned in the southern empire. Huo Zhang was sent to lead the army and brought Huo Li-Yang along with him, marking it as his debut. Lan Qi-Yuan also joined as Huo Li-Yang's advisor.
The northern empire agreed to ally with them and the southern empire couldn't hold against the two strongest generals under the heaven. To keep the alliance permanent, Tian Qing-Shan and the northern emperor agreed to marry their children.
While Tian Qing-Shan sent his gher son to the northern prince, the northern princess who was once rescued by Huo Li-Yang in the war fell in love with him and relentlessly pursued him. Huo Zhang unfeelingly kicked his son into the princess's arms and with pressure from all directions, they finally got married.
Soon after Huo Li-Yang's marriage, Huo Zhang retired from his post and entrusted it to his son. He and Bai Liang dedicated themselves to caring for Father and Mother Huo whose health was increasingly deteriorating. They went to the Yellow Spring together a few weeks after holding their great-granddaughter.
After the mourning period came to an end, Huo Zhang and Bai Liang left the capital to explore the continent for 5 full years. Once they returned, they lived in seclusion at the sacred mountain where they ate, played, and rested at will. They only came out twice for Lan Qi-Yuan's funeral as well as the emperor's and empress's joined funeral.
Huo Li-Yang would visit once every few months with his family to show their filial piety only to be kicked out by his father for disturbing their peaceful married life. Strong-willed as he was, he didn't back away from the beatings and happily accepted them if it meant gaining his mother's comfort.
Years went by and it was difficult not to notice that his parents aged slower than normal people. When they were 80 years old it seemed as if they were still in their 50s. He did know that his mother wasn't an ordinary person. Everyone around him made sure he knew that. He wouldn't be surprised if his mother knew a special martial art that could prolong one's lifespan.
It wasn't until they reached past 100 years old did they finally retired to eternal rest. On his usual visit, he found them lying on their bed as usual, as if they were only sleeping, and buried them together. He didn't want to get cursed by his father for separating them in death.