I am invincible, that's why I lie down. You're using your entire clan to rebel?

Chapter 446 Han Zhong's wife and his twin daughters!

Han Zhong remained silent for a moment.

The silence was short, but the lady felt it was as long as a lifetime.

Han Zhong shook his head, lowered his eyes, and dared not look into her eyes.

"Madam, if I lose my life because of this, you must take good care of yourself, the children, and your family."

In short, don't do anything foolish or suicidal. If possible, it's best to leave this capital city, this place of trouble, and find a quiet place to spend the rest of your life.

His voice was very soft, so soft it was as if he were talking to himself, but every word was like a stone hitting the lady's heart, causing her heart to ache.

The lady's expression finally changed.

Her lips parted slightly, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

But her hands were trembling slightly, and her fingertips were icy cold.

"My lord, is the matter really that serious? Even if you didn't completely wipe out the Moon Goddess Cult, you at least dealt a severe blow to their strength and foundation. His Majesty shouldn't be this angry, right? At worst... at worst, we can retire and go back to our hometown, okay?"

Her voice trembled slightly, carrying a cautious, tentative tone, as if walking on thin ice.

Han Zhong smiled inwardly, a smile more painful than tears.

Retire and return to your hometown? It's not that easy.

He committed a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of his family; it cannot be resolved simply by retiring to his hometown.

His Majesty's decision to let him live until now is already an immense blessing.

But he couldn't say these words. He could only shake his head, sigh, and look at her with an extremely helpless expression.

"Madam, you don't understand."

The lady's eyes immediately reddened.

My husband's worries must have a reason, but he just doesn't want to tell me, afraid that she will worry.

She knew him too well. He was the kind of person who always shouldered everything himself and never let her share even the slightest burden.

Her voice trembled slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back tightly.

"My husband, don't worry. No matter what danger we face, we'll get through it together. I believe we'll overcome it."

Han Zhong remained silent, only shaking his head and sighing.

His fingers tapped lightly twice on the table, his voice hoarse.

"Ruolan, promise me first."

He called her by her maiden name, and the two words he uttered were hoarse, carrying an irrepressible, deep-seated longing and reluctance.

He rarely called her that; only in private, on rare occasions when he was deeply moved, would he softly call her "Ruolan."

The lady's tears finally fell.

She bit her lip, tears silently welling up in her eyes and streaming down her pale cheeks.

"No, I can't agree to that. You need to tell me what happened, and we'll figure something out together."

Her voice was choked with emotion, yet unusually firm.

"Ruolan—"

Han Zhong's voice was stuck in his throat, as if something was blocking it.

"Father, Mother—"

A crisp sound came from the doorway.

Han Zhong and his wife turned their heads at the same time and saw the girl at the door. A soft light flashed in Han Zhong's eyes.

Han Xin'er, Han Zhong's beloved daughter, is sixteen years old. She is beautiful, with eyebrows like distant mountains, eyes like autumn water, a high nose bridge, and light-colored lips.

She wore a pale yellow dress, her long hair was styled into double buns, tied with two red ribbons, which made her small face look even whiter and more delicate.

She stood at the door, holding a plate of osmanthus cake in her hands, smiling at her parents.

"Father, Mother, what are you talking about? I made osmanthus cake, please try some."

Her voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley.

Looking at his daughter's youthful face and her clear, innocent eyes, which seemed unaware of the hardships of the world, Han Zhong felt a pang of sadness, and tears almost welled up in his eyes.

She was unaware that her father was about to lose his ability to protect their family.

Han Zhong endured it, swallowing back the surging bitterness little by little.

"Okay, Dad will try it."

He picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and took a bite.

The cake is soft and fluffy, sweet but not cloying, with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus lingering on the palate.

He couldn't taste anything, only looked at his daughter with bitterness and heartache in his eyes.

The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, and was about eighteen or nineteen years old. She looked very much like her mother, almost like a miniature version of Liu Ruolan.

She held a plate of osmanthus cake in her hands. The plate was made of celadon, and the cake was golden yellow and still steaming. The fragrance of osmanthus filled the air.

Her eyes were curved like two crescent moons as she looked at her parents with a smile, her voice clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley.

"Father, Mother, what's wrong?"

She tilted her head, her eyes full of innocence and curiosity, like a child who didn't understand the worries on the adults' faces.

Han Xin'er was Han Zhong's beloved daughter. She was pampered and raised from a young age. She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was also skilled in needlework. She was a well-known lady from a prominent family in the capital.

Her eyes were crystal clear, without a trace of impurity, like a pristine spring.

She stood there, sunlight streaming in from behind, bathing her in a pale golden glow, like a quiet flower blooming in the morning light.

Liu Ruolan quickly lowered her head, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, and when she raised her head, a gentle smile was already on her face.

"It's nothing. Your mother is talking to your father about something. You can go out now."

Han Zhong forced a smile, a stiff and bitter one.

He reached out and gently patted his daughter's shoulder, the touch so light it carried a deep-seated affection and reluctance.

"It's alright. Xin'er, listen to your mother, you can go out now."

Han Xin'er frowned slightly.

Her gaze swept from her father's face to her mother's face, and then back to her father's face.

She shook her head, her lips slightly pouting, and said with some dissatisfaction:

"I'm not going out. Something must have happened. Can you tell me?"

Her voice carried a hint of stubbornness and a touch of grievance.

Liu Ruolan's eyes reddened again.

She bit her lip, desperately holding back the surging tears, and her voice became even softer.

"It's really nothing. Be a good girl, Xin'er."

Seeing her mother struggling to hold back her tears, Han Xin'er was still very curious and wanted to know what had happened, but she eventually nodded obediently.

She pursed her lips, placed the plate on the desk, and took a step back.

"Okay. I'll go out first. When you want to tell me, be sure to tell me. I'm not a child anymore, I can help you too."

Her voice was soft but firm.

Han Zhong felt a pang of pain in his heart. His daughter had grown up, truly grown up, become much more sensible, and knew how to share the burdens of adults.

His eyes stung a little, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed back the surging bitterness.

He nodded, his voice hoarse.

"Okay. Don't worry, Xin'er. I understand."

Liu Ruolan wanted to say something more, her lips parted slightly, but before she could speak, another girl walked in.

She and Han Xin'er look exactly alike, with the same eyebrows, the same nose, the same lips, and even the same small mole at the corner of their eyes. They are also the same height.

She wore a light red dress with a few white gardenias embroidered on the hem, and a matching ribbon tied around her waist.

Her long hair wasn't tied up; it was simply tied into a high ponytail with a red ribbon. The ponytail hung down behind her head, swaying as she walked, like the tail of a little horse.

She held a small bird in her hand; the bird was grayish-brown, its wing injured, and it trembled in her palm.

Her personality was clearly much more lively than her sister's; she always walked with a bouncy, skipping gait, like a tireless little rabbit.

Completely oblivious to the somber atmosphere in the room, she entered holding up the little bird, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with a smile.

"Father, Mother, Sister, look what I caught!!"

Her voice was clear and bright, like a string of exploding firecrackers, so joyful that it made one's heart ache.

Looking at her younger sister's carefree appearance, Han Xin'er's lips curled up slightly, revealing a helpless smile.

"Keep your voice down, it's so noisy."

She said she was disgusted, but her eyes were full of doting affection.

Looking at his youngest daughter's innocent and carefree appearance, Han Zhong felt even more distressed, as if he had swallowed a whole bowl of bitter herbs, so bitter that he couldn't even speak.

Although she and her sister are twins and are both eighteen or nineteen years old, she still has the mentality of a child. She doesn't understand or know anything, and all she knows is how to play, laugh, and act spoiled in front of her parents.

He couldn't bear to die, how could he bear to?

But it was precisely because he couldn't bear to part with him that he had to die.

Only his death can appease His Majesty's anger, bring peace to the family, and allow the mother and her daughters to continue living carefree lives.

Han Zhong almost burst into tears.

He gritted his teeth and swallowed back the surging bitterness little by little.

Looking at her twin daughters, with their identical, youthful faces, Liu Ruolan felt a mix of emotions, like a jumble of flavors, a blend of sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy, making it impossible to discern the exact taste.

Her tears, like beads from a broken string, silently welled up from her eyes and streamed down her pale cheeks.

She quickly lowered her head and tried to wipe it off with her sleeve, but she couldn't wipe it all off.

She took a deep breath and gradually suppressed her surging emotions.

She looked up at her eldest daughter, Han Xin'er, a slight smile playing on her lips, her voice soft.

"Xin'er, take your sister to play."

Han Xin'er nodded.

She turned around, walked to her sister, and reached out to take her wrist.

"Let's go, stop causing trouble here."

"But I haven't shown my little bird to Daddy yet!"

The younger sister struggled for a moment, looking at Han Zhong with resentment.

"We'll see next time. Father is busy right now."

Without saying a word, Han Xin'er grabbed her sister's wrist and dragged her out of the study.

The younger sister stumbled slightly from the tug, the little bird in her hand fluttered its wings, and then shrank back into her palm.

She pouted, looking unhappy, and chattered away, her voice fading into the distance until it could no longer be heard.

Han Zhong stared at the doorway, at the two youthful figures disappearing into the sunlight, his eyes filled with reluctance and longing.

Only he and his wife remained in the study.

Silence was like an invisible wall, pressing down on their hearts.

Liu Ruolan opened her mouth, wanting to ask another question.

A servant strode in, his footsteps hurried and light, making a soft rustling sound on the bluestone slabs.

His face was pale, his forehead was covered in sweat, and he was breathing rapidly, clearly having run all the way here.

He walked to the study door, stopped, knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and his voice trembled slightly with nervousness.

"General, His Majesty's decree has arrived!"