Chapter 3 Zhenguo General's Mansion, not the Mu Family

Chu Heng beckoned the little boy over: "Xiao Jiu, this is General Mu Fang and his daughter. Fang, this is the Emperor's youngest son, nicknamed Jin'er. You just happened to be returning victorious from defeating the Northern Di when he was born, do you remember?"

"So you are His Highness the Ninth Prince." Mu Fang bowed respectfully, his voice flat and devoid of any emotion. "Mu Fang greets Your Highness."

The boy, dressed in black, was only eight or nine years old, yet he already possessed an air of authority, and his face was so beautiful it was almost otherworldly.

Just as Mu Yu was about to get a closer look, her father suddenly tightened his grip on her arm, the force of which caused her some pain.

Father...do you dislike this young man with dragon aura?

Chu Chongjin met Mu Fang's gaze. The other man's battle-hardened aura was enough to make ordinary people tremble, but he was not intimidated at all. His voice was calm: "General Zhenguo, there is no need for such formalities. You are a meritorious official of the Great Chu. I have long admired you."

"Mu Fang is nothing but a military man, and now he is a prisoner under house arrest by the Crown Prince. He is unworthy of the title of 'General Who Protects the Nation,' nor is he worthy of Your Highness's admiration." Mu Fang's tone was distant and cold, as if he was deliberately drawing a line between himself and others.

Chu Heng frowned upon hearing this: "Afang, His Majesty is seriously ill, which is why he appointed the Crown Prince to oversee the country. He is young and foolish, so don't take it seriously. With me here, no one can take away your position as General Zhenguo."

Mu Fang tightened his lips and lowered his eyes: "Mu Fang is unworthy of the old prince's favor."

Chu Heng frowned, scrutinized him for a moment, then turned to Mu Yu with a kind smile: "Xiao Jiu, take your little sister to the garden in the mansion for a stroll. Your uncle can catch up with General Zhenguo."

Mu Yu was a little conflicted. She really wanted to spend more time with this young man to see if he was a wise ruler, but her father was clearly angry. If she didn't stay by her father's side, what if he got into a fight with the old man, and the old man got angry and punished her father?

"No need." Mu Fang refused without hesitation, holding Mu Yu even tighter. "My daughter is unruly and will offend His Highness the Ninth Prince. I cannot bear the consequences. Your Highness, I will come to bother you another day."

Chu Heng's face finally darkened: "A-Fang, you don't even trust me anymore?"

Mu Yu looked at her father, then at the old man and Chu Chongjin, puzzled, and bit her lip. She was certain now that her father genuinely disliked this young man!

But the young man is clearly a wise ruler with the aura of a dragon. If his father could assist him, he would surely become a great contributor to the country and bring peace to the nation, and the young man could become emperor more smoothly.

Although conflicted, Mu Yu decided to listen to her father first. She pretended to cough loudly a few times and buried her face in her father's arms: "Daddy, my head hurts. Let's come and play with Grandpa and Big Brother again next time, okay?"

Mu Fang was taken aback, but then understood that his daughter was trying to help him out of a predicament. He felt a warmth in his heart and said, "Your Highness, Ninth Prince, my daughter has caught a cold, so I will take my leave now."

Mu Yu let her father carry her out of the palace. She buried her little head in her father's shoulder, but secretly glanced back and saw that the handsome young man was staring at her father's back with a complicated and unreadable expression.

Throughout the journey, Mu Fang kept his lips tightly pressed together and remained silent, while Mu Yu also obediently kept quiet.

As soon as the father and daughter returned to the general's mansion, they heard a sharp shout and curse.

"Mu Fang is really going to kill our whole family! The Crown Prince already suspected him of treason and put him under house arrest, but he actually injured the Imperial Guards and escaped for that bastard child born to that slut!"

The smile on Mu Yu's face vanished instantly. The people inside were cursing her and her father.

Mu Fang's arm around her stiffened for a moment, then he carried her into the mansion with a blank expression.

A woman dressed in brocade robes stood with her hands on her hips and cursed loudly: "That girl was born and her vixen mother abandoned the mess and ran away. Now she has gotten involved with the Crown Prince's beloved daughter, Princess Jia Hui. Both mother and daughter are a money-losing burden!"

"Sister-in-law, watch your words." Mu Fang's voice turned cold. "Xiao Yu and her mother are the love of my life. If you dare to talk nonsense again, don't blame me for not showing any respect for you as an uncle and sister-in-law."

"Face? Second brother, when have you ever shown us any face?" The woman's voice grew louder, her face full of malice. "Since you went to war, your elder brother and I have been serving our mother-in-law. Have you ever cared for the household for even a day? Now that you've returned, you've brought utter disaster upon the family! Even the Crown Prince says you're plotting a rebellion!"

Her eyes gleamed, as if she had made up her mind: "Treason is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family! Your elder brother and I have never done such a thing! Let's take this opportunity to make things clear, and from now on, our two families will separate and go our separate ways!"

Looking at the woman, Mu Yu knew from her younger sister's memories that this was her aunt, Zhou Shi, always sharp-tongued and mean-spirited, someone who disliked her. The Mu family was originally farmers; their current wealth was earned through their father's blood and sweat on the battlefield. These people enjoyed the riches their father had brought them, yet they were the first to stab her in the back when she was in danger…

"Alright, since you've said so, sister-in-law, don't regret it." Mu Fang's face darkened completely. "I'll go find the clan elders right now. From now on, our two families will be of the same surname but different paths!"

Zhou raised her chin triumphantly: "What do we have to regret? Only after we got rid of you, this plague, can your brother and I finally feel at ease!"

She tossed a pre-prepared contract into Mu Fang's arms: "No need to consult any clan elders! We'll split the family's land and shops equally; everything's listed. Once you sign this, we'll be two separate families!"

It turned out that his elder brother and sister-in-law had been looking forward to this day all along! Mu Fang recalled all the past events and felt a chill in his heart. He forced a smile, which was icy cold: "Fine, as you wish, I'll sign it!"

"Wait a minute, Daddy, something's not right." Mu Yu suddenly reached out her little hand, pressed down on the contract, looked up at Zhou Shi, and asked in a childish voice, "Auntie, why do you have to share the mansion, land, and silver that Daddy risked his life for? Have Uncle and Auntie done anything for the family?"

Mu Fang frowned, while Zhou's voice suddenly rose, pointing at Mu Yu's nose and scolding, "You little good-for-nothing, what nonsense are you spouting! The things in this house should be divided equally between your uncle and your father! Do you want to instigate your father to embezzle the family property?!"

“‘General Zhenguo’s Mansion’ was a gift from the Emperor to Father, it belongs to Father.” Mu Yu wasn’t annoyed, and counted on her chubby fingers one by one, “The land written on it was a reward from the Emperor for Father’s victory in battle; those shops were purchased by Father with his own money; and the silver in the mansion is all Father’s salary!”

She put her hands on her hips and pointed to the gate of the mansion: "So, there's no need for such a complicated process for you and your aunt to separate the family. You can just pack your things and move out."

Zhou was speechless, her face turning a deep shade of liver: "You...you're just a child spouting nonsense...the Mu family is..."

“This is not the Mu family, it’s the ‘General Zhenguo’s Mansion.’ It’s only because Father is kind that he took you here to stay.” Mu Yu snorted twice. “If Aunt thinks what I’m saying is wrong, you can report it to the authorities and let the officials judge the matter.”