The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1696: 826 Seizing the City! ( 1)

Chapter 1696: 826 Seizing the City! (Chapter 1)

The sky had not yet brightened, the east was a gray haze; it seemed today would be cloudy.

After autumn set in, Shengdu suddenly cooled down. Although it wasn’t a bad thing, for the people of Shengdu who were accustomed to the autumn heat, it felt strangely unsettling.

The army was departing today, and with such weather, it didn’t seem like a good omen.

Many thought pessimistically.

In a rundown alley of Shengdu’s outer city, Li Shen had not slept all night.

He sat in a daze with open eyes, holding a nearly worn-down iron plaque in his hand. It wasn’t until he heard the sounds of stirring from the room next door that he put the plaque away, lifted the curtain, and headed to the kitchen.

He made a pot of millet porridge for Li Mother, steamed a few white flour buns, and boiled two chicken eggs.

Since the military camp had delivered his pension and the related compensations last time, he had managed to repay the family debt, leaving some Silver behind, so they were no longer as tight as before.

He couldn’t bear to eat the chicken eggs himself, and brought them all to Li Mother.

When he arrived at Li Mother’s room, she had already risen, dressed neatly, her hair combed sleekly, and even wearing the hairpin from her wedding.

“Mother, you…”

Li Mother’s sudden formal attire made him feel unaccustomed.

Li Mother smiled and said, “Sit down and have breakfast.”

“Ah.” Li Shen sat down next to Li Mother, handed the spoon to her, and then guided her to feel the porridge bowl.

Li Mother chuckled and said, “Alright, I can eat myself.”

Li Shen peeled two boiled eggs for his mother.

Li Mother deftly picked one up and placed it accurately in his bowl: “You eat too, don’t just mind me.”

“I already ate,” Li Shen said.

“Mother’s eyes may be blind, but not my heart,” Li Mother replied.

Li Shen opened his mouth, “Mother!”

Li Mother smiled gloomily, “I’ve packed your things, after breakfast, you should go.”

Li Shen was stunned; he turned his head and looked around his mother’s room, indeed seeing a bundle on the bedchamber.

He was shocked and said, “Mother, you…”

Li Mother laughed and said, “While you were making breakfast, I went to your room to pack. Check if anything is missing? Don’t wait until you’re out of the city and find you can’t get what you want.”

Li Shen took a steamed bun, “…I didn’t say I was leaving the city.”

Li Mother replied, “You can deceive your mother, but can you deceive yourself? Ever since your friend from the military camp came over, you’ve been looking at that iron plaque every day. Mother can’t see it, but I can feel its edges are almost worn smooth by your touch.”

The last sentence was naturally exaggerated, but each time Li Mother entered his room, she could feel the residual warmth on the iron plaque, which, after so many times, indicated he took it out for remembrance constantly.

Li Mother sighed, “Mother isn’t someone who turns a blind eye to the outside world; I’ve heard about it, the Han Family has fallen, Hei Fengqi has changed hands, and whoever sent back your pension must be a wise ruler. Son, go ahead. We can’t let those dog thieves of Jin Country and Liang Country bully us!”

Li Shen’s heart trembled as he looked at his mother, “Mother…”

Li Family said remorsefully, “These years, I’ve been delaying you. Mother didn’t study, barely recognized any words, but I remember what you said before you joined the army; you spoke of wanting to serve the court, to become Dayan’s most formidable general. If it weren’t for me, you would have achieved that long ago.”

Li Shen hastily shook his head, “No, mother, I…”

Li Family patted the back of his hand, “Alright, no need to say anymore; there’s no time to spare. Quickly eat and leave. Don’t worry about me; I can take care of myself.”

“Mother…”

“Go, son, go do what you must.”

Li Shen bit into a steamed bun, his throat sore, eyes aching.

He desperately held back his tears.

No one could understand the struggle in his heart; this was the mother who gave birth to him and raised him, his father passed early, it was his mother who struggled to raise him, yet in the end, he couldn’t be filial in front of her—

“Mother!”

He knelt down heavily, his forehead touching the ground, kowtowing three times, his tears falling to the floor with a resounding thud.

“This son is unfilial! This son cannot repay your nurturing grace!”

As he went to the border pass, who knew if he would return alive.

Please regard me as a son you never had.

In the next life…in the next life, let me be your son again!

…

At Xianhe Building, Zhao Dengfeng was summoned to the kitchen to cook before dawn.

Ever since Gu Jiao had forcefully bought his restaurant, he was forced to become a cook.