After besieging the castle and capturing Tan Gangxin and his Generals, Sheng Li returned to the resting ground. The bloodshed was not intense this time because Tan Gengxin surrendered easily.
"Behead those Generals," Sheng Li ordered Wang Hao and Xiao Zhan.
"Why do you not kill me?" Tan Gengxin queried him. Shackles were put around his hands and feet. Though Sheng Li had not beaten him yet.
"Why are you so desperate to die now? Let's have a conversation before death embraces you," affirmed Sheng Li.
Tan Gengxin chuckled and looked at Huo Jin. "Sheng Li, you should not trust him. He betrayed me today, and tomorrow he will betray you," proclaimed Tan Gengxin.
."He will not betray me. There is a difference between us, Gengxin. You used him as a pawn while I use only those as pawns who are my enemies," asserted Sheng Li. "I do not want to know what happened between you two. Your father was older than my father. He considered him a friend and always was loyal to him. How come his son became an enemy of my father?" Sheng Li asked him.
"Your father did not tell you!" Tan Gengxin raised his brow.
"Answer," Sheng Li said sternly.
"He married the woman I love," Tan Gengxin replied. Sheng Li frowned upon hearing his statement.
"What?" He blinked a few times.
"He indeed did not tell you," Tan Gengxin snickered and then scornfully laughed.
"Stop speaking rubbish," Sheng Li clenched his hand. Huo Jin and the Commanders glanced at Sheng Li.
"Rubbish?!" "It is the truth. He married Shu-Mei, and I decided to end his family," Tan Gengxin asserted.
"Do not take the name of my mother from your filthy mouth," Sheng Li stepped forward and grabbed his robes. "Just speak what I am asking," He gritted his teeth.
"Sheng Li, you shall know the truth about your mother, me, and your father," pronounced Tan Gengxin and smiled wickedly. "Do you not want to know who killed your mother?" Tan Gengxin asked him. "Do you not want to know why she had to face such a brutal death?"
"Give me my sword," Sheng Li shouted. Commander Yang came forward when Ying Lili stopped him and took the sword from his hand. Ying Lili went to him and grabbed his arm.
"Calm down. Let's listen to him, first," Ying Lili stated.
"Lili, step back. Do not intervene in this matter," Sheng Li shrieked. "Take her away," he commanded. Commander Yang stepped forward and told Ying Lili to come with him. Ying Lili left his arm and left the ground.
"What has angered you? You shall know the truth, Sheng Li. The past which has hidden from everyone," Tan Gengxin affirmed. He noticed Sheng Li's reaction.
"Your highness, please calm down," Commander Sun intervened this time. "We need to know the truth. There might be some of his allies in Luoyang," Commander Sun simmered down the Crown Prince.
Sheng Li pushed Tan Gengxin, and he fell to the ground, who laughed for a while. "I wanted to marry your mother, but she fell in love with him. That's when I thought about conquering the Han Empire. Weng Wei was my pawn, who was jealous of your mother. Han Wenji adored Shu-Mei a lot! Sigh, she could not live long. If she would have been with me, then she might have had a good life. So when Shu Mei died, I decided to kill the entire Royal Family and also her son, whom she had with Han Wenji. Earlier, I had planned to kill Han Wenji only. I did not do anything wrong. Your father did wrong, and your mother paid the price of marrying him," Tan Gengxin briefed Sheng Li.
"You killed my mother?" Sheng Li inquired from him.
"What do you think?" Tan Gengxin questioned him back while smirking.
"How could you kill my mother? So, you arranged that deadly poison for her," Sheng Li's suspicion grew stronger.
Tan Gengxin chuckled. "I did. She refused my love so she had no right to live." Sheng Li punched him hard and kept punching him. His hands filled in his blood.
"How dare you kill her? How?" Sheng Li shouted. No one dare to stop him. The Commanders and the soldiers lowered their eyes while Huo Jin was shocked to see that side of the Crown Prince.
Tan Gengxin was only laughing, which angered Sheng Li more. He pulled out the dagger which he had hidden inside his sash. He almost stabbed him when Ying Lili caught his hand. She returned to the ground because she knew if Sheng Li turned aggressive, he would only kill him without investigating him properly. Moreover, Sheng Li usually gets triggered only by hearing about his mother.
Sheng Li's red eyes gazed at Ying Lili, and he pushed her, but she again caught his hand. "Commander Yang, help me," Ying Lili asked for her help. Swiftly, he grasped the arms of Sheng Li and pulled him back. Commander Sun also needed to come forward, and they pulled him back.
"Leave me," Sheng Li bellowed at them. "He killed my mother. I need to kill him," Sheng Li said.
"Calm down. You can kill him later. I need to interrogate him. Do not lose your temper," Ying Lili told Sheng Li as she grasped both of his arms. "Do not act this way," Ying Lili stated when he pushed the two Commanders and let go of her hands.
"If anyone intervenes, I will kill him too," Sheng Li threatened them. "If you cannot see me this way, then leave. It is the matter of my mother, so even you do not have the right to stop me," Sheng Li told Ying Lili as he snatched the dagger from her hand and stepped forward.
Wang Hao stopped Sheng Li this time. "Your highness, you cannot kill him. His punishment is in the hands of the Emperor. We have to take him back alive," Wang Hao reminded the Crown Prince.
"I do not care," Sheng Li pronounced and pushed him away.
"The command of the Emperor is supreme. He has ordered the Crown Prince to bring Tan Gengxin alive to Luoyang. If the Crown Prince does not listen, then I will take action," Wang Hao warned Sheng Li.
Sheng Li did not listen to him, so Wang Hao grabbed both of his arms. "The Crown Prince shall not act stubbornly," Wang Hao pulled Sheng Li back. He did not want the Emperor to punish Sheng Li for defying his orders. He took Sheng Li away to the nearest tent house while Xiao Zhan took Tan Gengxin away.