"Your Majesty, Qin Xun stubbornly denies the accusations, leaving me with no recourse!"
Upon hearing Qin Feng's report, Yan Liu scoffed, "Your Majesty, innocent until proven guilty, innocent until proven guilty! You cannot blindly believe Qin Fuma's words simply because you trust him!"
Mu Cheng's brow furrowed, and he impatiently waved his hand, "The Ministry of Justice shall investigate again. Those found guilty will be detained, and the innocent released..."
Yan Liu and the others below breathed a sigh of relief.
In the imperial study, Mu Cheng nodded after hearing Qin Feng's account, "To know when to turn back is a mark of a hero. Let the son-in-law handle this matter!"
Mu Cheng suddenly remembered something and pouted, "Right! Send someone to summon the Marquis of Zhenbei!"
A moment later, Mu Cheng looked at Zuo Wuji, whose face was still swollen, and asked, "My dear Yue, who is responsible for the injuries on your face?"
"Your Majesty, family shame should not be broadcast..." Zuo Wuji chuckled dryly.
"Under heaven, who else could have injured you to this extent?" Mu Cheng inquired.
Zuo Wuji was speechless. Yue Hongxiu and Yue Wenxin were skilled in swordsmanship; it was impossible for them to injure him with their bare hands.
Now, Zuo Wuji wished he could fly to the Court of State Ceremonial and hang Zuo Wushang upside down, beating him a hundred times in public.
"I can vaguely sense that you and Liang Xiao have some unsavory conflict," Mu Cheng finally voiced his thoughts.
"Your Majesty, I deeply admire the son of the Prince of Bei, the Marquis of Anguo!" Zuo Wuji calmly rebutted.
Mu Cheng shook his head, "You cannot deceive me. You know, this marriage I arranged for your daughter is an unprecedented opportunity for you and the Yue family. And yet, what was your reaction?"
Zuo Wuji hesitated to speak. That chief eunuch, though greedy, was a loyal servant to Mu Cheng and had surely reported Zuo Wuji's reaction at the time. He had wanted to feign overwhelming joy, but it had been impossible to fake. To him, Liang Xiao and Zuo Wushang were detestable and disgusting beasts.
"Your Majesty, I have always been loyal to you. Why must you treat me this way for Liang Xiao's sake..." Zuo Wuji's question was an indirect admission.
"I am saving you and the Yue family," Mu Cheng said gravely.
Zuo Wuji blinked in surprise.
"Everything you have now is due to my favor. How many more years do you think my body, which constantly coughs and occasionally bleeds, can last? After I am gone, how can a new emperor, who is friendly with the noble families, tolerate you? Do you think by seeking refuge with the noble families, they will accept you? I believe you are not that naive!"
"Hasn't your father-in-law ever told you why the Yue family has fallen to the point where they need an outsider like you, a son-in-law of unknown origin, to restore their honor? Are you not even curious why your father-in-law decisively handed over the position of Yue family patriarch to you, rather than to those collateral branches of the Yue family? After all, they share the Yue family bloodline!"
Mu Cheng's barrage of questions left Zuo Wuji speechless.
Mu Cheng then said seriously, "I will tell you the reason. Because your father-in-law once told me that you genuinely respected him, that you and his eldest widowed daughter were truly in love, and that you truly considered yourself a member of the Yue family, not seeking to usurp the Yue family's wealth. And the Yue family's decline is due to the Yan and Dong families!"
Zuo Wuji immediately prostrated himself in gratitude.
"If I were to pass away suddenly, with you holding command of the Zhenbei Army, you would still have time to maneuver. Marriage with Liang Xiao is both a blessing and a curse for you. If you fall out of favor in Da Liang, or even face death, you will still have the chance to seek refuge with Da Qian with your family. You should understand your predicament and my intentions."
"Your Majesty..." Zuo Wuji looked up in astonishment, deeply moved.
As the ruler of a nation, he was not yet dead, yet he had already planned a fallback for his subject by suggesting refuge with Liang Xiao.
"Your Majesty, is the Prince of Bei an illegitimate son of the late Emperor?" Zuo Wuji could not help but ask. Since Liang Xiao was definitely Liang Anguo's son, he could only speculate about Liang Anguo's background.
Mu Cheng shook his head, "Of course not! While I am here, I can ensure your prosperity. If I pass away unexpectedly, others who wish to harm you will have to consider Liang Xiao's retaliation. I want you to sincerely send your daughter to Liang Xiao, completely and without mistreatment. I know you are loyal, but I firmly believe that Liang Xiao is no mere scoundrel. You must leave yourself a way out."
Zuo Wuji understood and could only bow his thanks again before leaving dejectedly.
Only then did Mu Cheng sigh, "Son-in-law, accompany me to the Sword Tomb."
On this day, Yue Hongxiu learned of Liang Anguo's plight and was consumed by grief.
"Your father revealed his identity as the Prince of Bei to me back then and returned home with injuries. I also practiced martial arts diligently and became the commander of the Prince of Bei's guards, living as a man ever since..."
"But His Majesty has shown me great kindness. I absolutely cannot go with you to Da Qian, at least not until His Majesty passes. However, I fear I may precede His Majesty..."
As they recounted the past, everyone could not help but sigh. Regardless, Yue Hongxiu had finally completely forgiven Liang Anguo.
Liang Xiao said sincerely, "No matter what, you are the third lady I acknowledge, and the daughter-in-law my grandfather acknowledges."
At this moment, Yue Hongxiu had removed her mask, her face filled with emotion as she nodded repeatedly, "I believe you would not lie to me, as there is no reason to. It's just that even I don't understand what His Majesty wants you to do for him. From the moment he sent you the invitation, His Majesty has not been like the Majesty I knew; he has been more like a gambler staking everything..."
Liang Xiao merely nodded in silence. After interacting with the Sword Master, he had vaguely conceived of several possibilities regarding Mu Cheng, but they were too astonishing, even for him to believe.
The Sword Master said, "During this period, I will be recuperating at home, accompanied by five hundred swordsmen. If needed, you can find me at the Master's former residence. In fact, these tomb keepers are all my friends and household servants..."
Saying this, the Sword Master nodded towards the distant tomb keepers.
The tomb keeper understood and waved towards the tomb keepers in the distance. Three tomb keepers pushed a cart carrying two boxes. When the boxes were opened, Liang Xiao looked closely and saw that they contained a piece of Silver Dragon Gold and a piece of White Dragon Gold, respectively.
"You have revitalized Da Gan, indirectly allowing the people of Da Liang to live better lives. Your contributions are immense. This is my family's heirloom Silver Dragon Gold and White Dragon Gold, a token of my gratitude."
Liang Xiao quickly declined.
The Sword Master said sternly, "It belongs to you!"
Unable to refuse, Liang Xiao accepted the two pieces of refined gold and sighed, "Although Silver Dragon Gold and White Dragon Gold are precious, I currently have no method to smelt them."
The Sword Master laughed, "All the renowned craftsmen in the world are in Xichuan. Since you have pacified Xichuan, you only need to issue a notice, and those hidden divine craftsmen will surely come out of seclusion to refine them for you. They may also possess some special materials that can assist in smelting these two kinds of refined gold."
Everyone suddenly understood. In the past, many families of renowned craftsmen had indeed established themselves in Xichuan!