Chapter 258 The Mother-Son Love Has Ended

The daughter of the Great Wizard of the Northwest...

Yun Ya's breath was choked and her mind was in a mess.

She couldn't believe that Somon had sold it to her like that.

Yan Mu lowered his head, his thin lips pressed into a straight line. It was not difficult to see his dissatisfaction. "Marriage is absurd in itself. It makes girls endure the pain of leaving their homes. The experience of the emperor's sister is enough to make us sigh. Whether it is Daqi or the northwest, we should firmly resist the marriage."

"Marriage alliances aren't about balancing the two countries, but rather a pretext for torturing women. A truly great nation wouldn't need to sacrifice women to maintain its dignity."

Yun Ya was stunned for a moment, staring at the man's profile, feeling a strange feeling in her heart.

"No wonder Father always says that Third Brother is the most like him." Yan Ci shook his head and chuckled, looking at his brother with eyes full of admiration. "Father has also mentioned what you said. My sister once fell into the clutches of the devil, bullied and humiliated by those northwestern barbarians, and nearly lost her life. Every time I think of it, Father always feels unbearable pain."

"Daqi has no intention of marrying off. Even if Northwest China sends that damn wizard's daughter over, she will be sent back in a complete package. But Somon is now a captive. Seeing the situation is hopeless, he's starting to beg for mercy, demanding a marriage between the two countries and a renewal of the peace treaty."

The color on Yun Ya's face faded, and her little face was as pale as paper. She stood quietly behind Yan Mu, as if she was frightened.

"Forget it. These matters have nothing to do with you and me. If the emperor changes his mind, he will send someone to invite us to the Qinzheng Palace to discuss it." Yan Ci patted his brother's shoulder with a gentle smile. "Don't think too much in Pingyang Palace. Everything is over. Everything will be fine."

Yan Mu pulled the corner of his lip, his smile a little bitter, "Thank you for your concern, my royal brother."

After saying this, Yan Mu bowed and left. When he passed by Yan Ci and Xie Suzhou, he was suddenly stopped by someone.

Xie Suzhou had a smile on his lips, gently waving the folding fan in his hand, like a young man, without a trace of fierceness. "Third Prince, I dare to ask, where did your maid come from?"

Yun Ya's body trembled, and she turned back stiffly, meeting Xie Suzhou's eyes.

Yan Mu blocked the girl behind him without leaving any trace, his expression calm, "This is the one my mother left behind to serve me. May I ask if there is anything wrong with Doctor Xie?"

"Suzhou, what's wrong?" Yan Ci walked forward slowly, his inquiring eyes falling on Yun Ya.

He naturally knew that his friend was not the kind of person who liked to stir up trouble. Since Suzhou had spoken, there must be something strange about this girl.

"Nothing, perhaps I recognized the wrong person." Xie Suzhou shook his head and bowed to Yan Mu, "Please forgive me, Third Prince."

"It's okay." Yan Mu withdrew his gaze calmly and looked at the girl behind him. "Let's go back to the palace."

Yun Ya was now well-behaved. She bowed to Yan Xie and the others and walked away with her master.

"What did you find?" Yan Ci frowned and looked at the person beside him, saying in a deep voice, "Don't tell me you saw it wrongly. That will only fool others. You are not the talkative type. Tell me the truth, what happened?"

"Looking at that girl, doesn't your Highness find it strange?" Xie Suzhou pursed his lips and smiled, his eyes fixed on the figure. "Why would a maid comb her hair into such a crooked bun? Has your Highness ever seen a girl with curly hair in the palace? She's tall, and her figure doesn't look like a Daqi woman."

After hearing what he said, Yan Ci still had something to understand, and hurriedly asked, "Do you suspect she is from the northwest?"

Xie Suzhou nodded slightly, "Nine out of ten."

Yan Ci's expression suddenly changed, "Then my third brother..."

"The Third Prince has a simple and gentle personality. He would never do anything to collude with the enemy and betray the country. In my opinion, the Third Prince might have been kept in the dark." Xie Suzhou pursed his lips and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please do not act rashly. Just send someone to keep a close eye on Pingyang Palace."

-

Zhongcui Palace

Stepping into this courtyard again, the exquisiteness turned into desolation.

The gate to the courtyard has not been maintained and its color has faded a lot. The window frames are half rotten. The garden has not been cared for and weeds have already sprouted. The swing in the yard has long been removed. Only an old tree stands alone in the middle of the courtyard. It is clearly midsummer, but there are no leaves on the branches.

After many days, the door of Zhongcui Palace finally opened.

"Third Prince... the Queen is inside."

After not seeing each other for a long time, Aunt Gui seemed to have aged a lot. When her cloudy eyes looked at Yan Mu, tears flashed in them.

Yan Mu nodded slightly at her, walked towards the main hall, and when he reached the door, he actually had a thought of retreating.

He didn't dare to face his mother directly, and didn't want to see her eyes full of disappointment.

"Come in."

Suddenly a woman's voice was heard in the house. Yan Mu paused slightly. He had no way to hide anymore, so he had to bite the bullet and go in.

"Mammy, please put the food on the table. I have no appetite." The woman had her back to the door, breathing weakly and unable to muster any extra strength.

Yan Mu glanced sideways and saw the rice porridge that had been delivered that morning still on the table, untouched.

"For the sake of your own health, mother, please use at least some."

Hearing the familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Zhe Fei shuddered and turned her head slowly. When her eyes fell on the man, a fierce gleam flashed across her face. "Why is it you... How dare you come to see me?"

Yan Mu's face turned pale instantly, "Mother..."

"Get out! Get out of here!" Concubine Zhe suddenly stood up, walked quickly to him, raised her hand and slapped him hard, "You traitor to the Lin family, you are not worthy to call me mother!"

Yan Mu stumbled and hit the door frame.

"Your Majesty!" Nanny Gui heard the quarrel and rushed in, stopping her from raising her hand again. "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. The Third Prince came to see you at this time because he has you in his heart, Your Majesty."

"He has me in his heart?" Concubine Zhe laughed as if she had heard something funny. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed. "If he hadn't rebelled, how could the entire Lin family be exiled thousands of miles away, and how could I have ended up in this situation?"

Yan Mu lowered his head and dared not answer.

"Get out of here! From now on, I never want to see you again." Concubine Zhe glared fiercely at the son she had once placed such high hopes on. "Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. Our mother-son relationship is over. We shall never see each other again in the next life!"

"Second brother is back."

Concubine Zhe was stunned for a moment, as if frozen, staring at him blankly.

"Mother..." Yan Mu raised her tearful eyes, her left cheek swollen from the slap. "Second brother returned to the capital a long time ago. He has been hiding in the dark and has never shown up. Whether it's Dou Mingwei, Sun Hejing, or the upstart Xie Suzhou, whom mother is so obsessed with getting me to befriend, they are all Second brother's confidants."

"What about the Lin family? What does the Lin family have?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Yan Mu couldn't help but chuckle, "Does it mean that only when everyone in the Lin family dies in battle will my mother be satisfied?"