So, this heartless man imprisoned Tu Chaoyang.
He severed her tendons in her hands and feet.
Colluding with the noble consort, he whispered in the old emperor's ear, forcing the monk to marry the princess.
At that time, Tu Chaoyang was completely isolated from the outside world and received no news.
She was imprisoned in a pitch - black dungeon and couldn't even tell what day it was.
The emperor gave her a choice.
He could annul the marriage, and she could marry whoever she wanted.
But the prerequisite was that she had to hand over all her military power. Otherwise, she would be imprisoned there forever.
The old emperor told her that the monk was pleading for her outside, taking all the blame upon himself and willing to await the orders of her useless husband.
And her useless husband wanted the monk dead.
Tu Chaoyang chose to hand over her military power.
She didn't covet power. Being a general and going to war was just to protect her homeland.
Military power wasn't that important to her.
What was more important now was that the monk could live, and she could gain her freedom.
The old emperor kept his promise and finally released Tu Chaoyang.
But on the day she was released, what she saw was a grand wedding procession stretching for miles, and the whole city was filled with joy.
The news she heard was that the monk had married the princess and become the son - in - law of the emperor.
She thought the monk must have his own difficulties.
In broad daylight and in full view of the public, she broke into the princess's mansion and interrupted the monk's wedding.
She wanted to snatch the groom away.
But the monk resolutely refused her.
He said he was willing to marry the princess.
From then on, they didn't need to see each other again.
Tu Chaoyang was driven out dejectedly and thrown outside the capital.
Her hands and feet were completely broken.
She lived in a dilapidated temple. Occasionally, someone would come to bring her food and force her to eat, forcing her to live.
Those people would also carry her around the streets and alleys of the capital from time to time.
She often heard news about the monk from the common people.
For example, today the son - in - law and the princess attended a flower - viewing party together. They were in perfect harmony, looking deeply in love.
For example, someone provoked the son - in - law, and the princess took revenge for him, beating the provocateur to a pulp.
Another example was that the son - in - law painted the princess's eyebrows and cooked for her. He was really crazy about the princess.
...
There were many, many more pieces of news, all about how affectionate the son - in - law and the princess were.
And that famous female general seemed to be completely forgotten.
Tu Chaoyang dragged her paralyzed body and endured for a full ten years.
Ten years later, the female general died full of resentment and turned into a fierce ghost, determined to slaughter the whole city.
She first took revenge on the old emperor and scared him to death.
Then she took revenge on all those who had once bullied her.
When it came to taking revenge on the princess, she saw the monk again.
After ten years, the monk was still as handsome and dazzling as ever.
He was so attractive that people couldn't take their eyes off him.
But this time, the relationship between the two was no longer that of confidants, friends, or lovers.
Instead, it was like enemies meeting, and their hatred flared up.
Tu Chaoyang wanted to kill the princess, but the monk advised her to renounce violence and embrace Buddhism.
After all, he was a highly respected monk, and she just couldn't bring herself to kill.
In the end, the soul of this legendary female general was almost scattered and was permanently sealed inside a peach tree.
She lost all her memories and was in a daze.
And the monk disappeared without a trace that night.
After the story was told, sadness welled up in Zhang Zicheng's eyes.
"You're not that monk, are you?"
Shen Weixun naturally knew that he couldn't start telling a story out of the blue for no reason.
With a little association, she could figure out the relationship between the story and Zhang Zicheng.
"I am."
Zhang Zicheng nodded without hesitation.
"Scumbag... No, that was a thousand years ago. How could you still have the memories of that time after being reincarnated as a human?"
Shen Weixun blurted out the word "scumbag".
She really looked down on the monk in the story.
But then she thought something was wrong. Didn't Zhang Zicheng need to drink the Mengpo's soup when he was reincarnated?
"I really had no memories when I was a child. But after I left the village, these strange memories became more and more real and clear. I also knew who I was and who the peach tree in the village was the incarnation of."
"The peach tree has a spirit, which is actually the spirit of the female general. Before sealing the female general's soul, the monk cleared all the sins on her, consuming all his merits. He also used his soul power and life as a sacrifice to make the female general a completely pure soul."
"The monk certainly had to pay a price. Sometimes, losing memories is actually happier than having them."
"Actually, the female general's ending should have been the dissipation of her soul. But in order to save her, the monk chose to suffer in the mortal world and endure ten reincarnations. In each life, he would die miserably and live a hard life, suffering the hardships of reincarnation and atoning for the female general."
Actually, this memory was completely strange to Zhang Zicheng.
Because the monk in the memory was nothing like himself.
That monk was indecisive, caring about the righteousness of the world, and was so selfless that he didn't seem like a real person.
He didn't really like the monk's personality.
But at the same time, the guilt towards the female general, the nostalgia for the peach tree, and the indescribable feelings took root in his heart and couldn't be forgotten or uprooted.
He seemed to share the same feelings as the monk, but they were completely different people.
This feeling made him feel lost and helpless.
"So the question is, who is targeting you and took the tree and the female general's ashes? How many enemies have you made during these years when you were away from home?"
Shen Weixun didn't care about Zhang Zicheng's love - hate relationships in his past and present lives.
Neither did Xiaotuanzi.
The Zhang Zicheng in front of them was just their second senior brother.
A carefree and idle senior brother.
Who he was in his previous life or previous previous life had nothing to do with them.
They only recognized this life's Zhang Zicheng.
"I don't know. I haven't made any enemies. On the contrary, after being in society for a long time, I'm quite tactful. I never make enemies with others but only make good connections."
"This relic has already been connected to the female general's soul. Burying this thing with the ashes was originally to nourish the female general's soul. Let's try to find her with the Buddhist relic."
Zhang Zicheng hung his head dejectedly.
If it weren't for the fact that the female general's soul was too powerful, and once someone unsealed her soul and she recalled her past hatred, there would be a bloodbath.
He wouldn't even want to care about this matter.
Actually, the story was told in a milder way.
He subconsciously didn't want to portray the female general as an evil spirit.
In fact, after the female general died, she blood - bathed the entire imperial palace. Almost all the high - ranking officials and nobles were massacred along with their families.
And after killing so many people, she actually became a half - step ghost king just through killing.
If there hadn't been the monk's obstruction, it was estimated that none of the people in the capital would have escaped.
The capital would have been a river of blood.