Yue Hongxiu could no longer stand it and quickly said, "Liang Xiao! Actually, he and I had agreed, the injury was just an act..."
"An act? How is that possible?" Liang Xiao turned his head, looking at Yue Hongxiu in confusion.
Yue Hongxiu had no choice but to brace herself and say, "It was just an act..."
Zuo Wuji stared blankly at Yue Hongxiu, completely bewildered.
In the end, this sister-in-law whom he had slapped several times was actually willing to defend him??
The Tian Zi Hao Yun Tian Wei beside him finally stepped forward and sighed, "Master, you know in your heart that as long as you let go of that old grudge, the Marquis of An will treat you well. Why oppose the Marquis of An like this? After all, the Marquis of An is doing the right thing..."
"I, your mother..."
Before Zuo Wuji could finish cursing, Liang Xiao had already grabbed his chin.
"You take out the grudges of the previous generation on your two daughters, and you're all smiles with outsiders. What kind of hero are you? I, Liang Xiao, despise people like you the most. You save your patience for strangers but unleash your temper on your own family!"
Zuo Wuji was stunned, his imposing aura finally deflated, but he still glared at Liang Xiao.
Only then did Liang Xiao release Zuo Wuji and pull Zuo Jing over to hug the two children, his eyes brimming with tears.
"It's Dad who failed you..."
Considering the time, they should be about one year old, plump and fair, their height just right...
The child in Liang Xiao's arms looked frightened, wanting to push him away but not daring to, only looking pleadingly at Zuo Jing.
"He is your Daddy, Daddy." Zuo Jing leaned over and kissed the child in Liang Xiao's arms, saying softly.
These two brothers, naturally intelligent, seemed to understand Zuo Jing's meaning. They obediently hugged Liang Xiao's arm, and the two brothers called out "Daddy" in their milky voices.
Liang Xiao's resentment and sorrow vanished in an instant. He held the children tighter, then leaned over to Zuo Jing and kissed the other child's cheek.
Zuo Wuji watched this, trembling with rage.
"Lost, lost it all..."
Zhuo Zifang suddenly noticed the jade tokens tied to the wrists of the two children, bearing their names. He then walked up to Zuo Wuji and sighed, "In fact, you haven't lost. As long as you are willing, you still have your beloved daughters, son-in-law, grandsons, and also your elder brother, niece, and nephew..."
Yun Tian Wei Qing quickly took down the jade tokens of the two children and presented them: "Marquis of An, please look, these are the names Master gave them the day they were born!"
Liang Xiao took a closer look and smiled, "At least you have some conscience."
They were Zuo Hucheng and Liang Tiancheng.
His child with Zhuo Xun was named Zuo Longcheng.
Regardless of whether Zuo Wuji had intentionally left him a way out, at least he had done this well.
Liang Xiao's expression softened. He handed the children to Zuo Wushang to hold and gave He Zizhang a look.
He Zizhang understood and took out an imperial edict from his embrace, handing it to Zuo Wuji, "This is an imperial decree from His Majesty."
Zuo Wuji opened it with confusion, his pupils constricting.
It was a handwritten order sealed with Xiao Qing's imperial seal.
In the future, as long as he surrendered as a remnant of the Great Heng Kingdom and served the Great Qian, he could be promoted and enfeoffed, taking over the title of Marquis of Zhenbei left by Lu Yi, and be appointed a general. As for his property, the court would not confiscate a single penny of his.
The imperial edict even recorded the background and origins of Ye Hongyu and Ye Hongyun.
From the Ye family of Xichuan?
"Old Master Ye accidentally saw the portrait of Hongyu that I collected and exclaimed that she looked exactly like his cousin. His niece, who was pregnant back then, mysteriously disappeared, likely abducted by members of the Huichun Cult. Later, Hongyu and Hongyun were likely the twins born to his niece, and were used by the Huichun Cult to seduce you and me. Fortunately, they ultimately chose to stand by their husbands. You and I are now enemies of the Huichun Cult, and they have not committed any serious offenses..."
As Zuo Wuji listened to Zuo Wushang's explanation, he felt as if a lump of fishbone was stuck in his throat. He then gritted his teeth, filled with grief.
Zhuo Zifang replied, "The late Emperor Wendi had intended to offer amnesty back then, and it was indeed the Gongyang family who colluded with the Huichun Cult to frame you. Of course, the court cannot shirk all responsibility. Therefore, the current emperor hopes to fully compensate the surrendered remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom, including you who fled to Great Liang. Forgive my intrusion, but since you are so devoted to your two wives, why do you torment their only surviving flesh and blood?"
"I just don't want them to be bullied by men..." Zuo Wuji was still stubborn.
"They are bullied by you, their own father. What is the point of teaching them martial arts well? I thought Xun'er was dead back then, and I envied you for still having two daughters," Zuo Wushang said helplessly.
Zuo Wuji fell silent.
Zuo Jing then pleaded, "Father, Brother Liang Xiao has long said that he will not allow the tragedies of the previous generation to repeat themselves in our generation. He came to Great Liang for me, but he didn't know that we had already conceived our child..."
Zuo Wuji sat down abruptly, ran his fingers through his hair, and tore at it, his face full of remorse.
"I have been operating here for over ten years, and I have finally achieved my current power through my own abilities."
Liang Xiao then said, "With your abilities, where can't you achieve great things? But I will not force you to defect to Great Qian, as my uncle treated you well. You can come to Great Qian to live in retirement when you resign from your post in the future."
Yue Wenxin then mustered her courage and walked to Zuo Wuji, taking his hand and saying, "Father, ever since my aunt told me last night that you were sincere towards mother and not just coveting the Yue family's power, I no longer hate you..."
Zuo Wuji's face was filled with shame, and he dared not meet Yue Wenxin's gaze.
"Your strictness towards your daughters has exceeded the ordinary 'filial piety under the rod.' They have let go of their grievances, and you should be content," Zuo Wushang said with a sigh.
Only then did Zuo Wuji re-examine Liang Xiao, his expression complicated.
In fact, he was just unhappy. Why should this young man be so glorious, not needing to hide his past, and even dared to abduct his daughter!
But now, calming down, he also understood that Liang Xiao had already treated him with utmost kindness.
After pondering deeply, Zuo Wuji sighed, "The Emperor of Great Liang has shown me great kindness. I wish to have a good talk with him..."
"Is it done?"
In the imperial study, Mu Cheng looked at Zuo Wuji kneeling below, with Liang Xiao, the Qin Feng couple, and Zuo Wushang standing guard, and was surprised.
He could vaguely tell that Zuo Wuji harbored great resentment towards Liang Xiao, otherwise, he wouldn't need to be so secretive and compete in secret.
"Your subject's true identity is Zuo Wuji, the former Deputy Marshal of the Great Heng Kingdom. Later, I parted ways with my brother, Marshal Zuo Wushang, and lived incognito in Great Liang, hoping to gain power one day to march north with Your Majesty and contend for the Central Plains, and also to avenge my wife..."
Zuo Wuji reported truthfully, causing the Qin Feng couple's expressions to change.
Mu Cheng, however, remained calm and asked, "What are your plans now?"
"Your subject is ashamed of Your Majesty's kindness. If Your Majesty trusts your subject, your subject is willing to serve Your Majesty to the death until either Your Majesty or your subject passes away. But your subject requests Your Majesty's permission for the members of the Yue family to go to Great Qian and seek Liang Xiao's protection. After all, my father-in-law regards me as his son, and I cannot bear to fail his dying wish to revitalize the Yue family. How can I let the Yue family be wiped out?"
"If Your Majesty does not trust your subject, your subject is willing to hand over all his property, return the military authority of the Zhenbei Army, and return to Great Qian with Liang Xiao..."
As Zuo Wuji spoke, he became increasingly ashamed and uneasy.
Mu Cheng merely gazed at the people below, chuckled several times, and after a long while, finally sighed.
"Your matter, I have already made up my mind, and have my own arrangements. You need not worry. Now, I wish to have a good talk with Liang Xiao about my grand ambitions with the King of the North."