Chapter 6 Deception Missing the faint, thumping sound in one's own chest...
"But it's not that kind of liking."
Mu Meng added, "I haven't thought about these things, and I've only met Brother Yue a few times, so I can't just agree so hastily."
“Also, if we’re going to get married, the older brother should come first, followed by the older sister…” Mu Meng paused, “How can I go before you?”
Mu Qingheng chuckled: "There's no need to worry about the order of events, but speaking so childishly, one should indeed stay a few more years."
His voice was low, but each word was pronounced clearly and softly, like the crisp sound of jade clashing in the quiet night, which sounded exceptionally pleasant.
The siblings had never discussed this topic before, and after saying just a few words, Mu Meng's little face turned bright red: "Okay, brother, I came to give you a gift, and you keep making fun of me."
"good……"
Mu Qingheng put down the scissors and turned to look at Mu Meng. He had just opened his mouth to say two words when he suddenly stopped.
Under the warm, dim candlelight, the little girl's fair cheeks were flushed, and her jet-black hair fell loosely around her cheeks. She was so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
Her expression was as serious as ever, her dark eyes seemed to be filled with water, so pure it was breathtaking.
Mu Qingheng was only stunned for a moment before naturally saying, "...Brother isn't laughing at you. What precious gift is it?"
Mu Meng smiled, her eyes crinkling like crescent moons, and handed over what she was holding.
"Soul Flower?" Mu Qingheng raised his dark eyebrows slightly as he saw what Mu Meng handed him.
Mu Meng nodded happily, "It's a Soul Flower, I made it, brother, let me plant it for you."
Mu Qingheng remained silent for a moment, then slowly extended his arm.
The candle flame crackled and popped, the room was quiet, yet there seemed to be warmth in the air.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, his gaze was cold, as if he were lost in thought.
"Mengmeng, thank you." Mu Qingheng's voice was very soft, as if he were sighing.
But beneath the sigh, there seems to be something even more complex.
Unaware of her surroundings, Mu Meng was overjoyed and rolled up Mu Qingheng's white sleeves twice.
She held a soul flower in her delicate little hands, its petals as soft and innocent as her fingers. The light flower landed on Mu Qingheng's smooth and beautiful forearm, flashing in the light and turning into a crimson mark that covered his skin.
Mu Qingheng watched quietly, remaining silent.
Soul flowers are rare, and a lot of effort must be put into them before they bloom. Not only must one be devout, but one must also use one's own spiritual power to water them. They are treasures that consume a great deal of mental energy.
That's not the most important thing; the most important thing is its usefulness.
The Soul Flower has two blossoms growing side by side. The person holding the flower plants one of them into the body of the person they are protecting. Not only can they immediately sense when the person is in danger through the Soul Flower, but they can also instantly reach the location of the other flower by relying on the connection between the two blossoms.
Receiving a Soul Flower is universally acknowledged as the most enviable thing in the Six Realms.
Mu Qingheng's thick eyelashes trembled, and he looked up at Mu Meng's fluffy hair.
"Brother, this Soul Flower is so hard to grow. I've wanted to ask you for advice several times, but I held back because I wanted to give you a surprise."
Mu Meng planted a Soul Flower, carefully put away her own, and looked up with a sweet smile, saying, "Brother, don't look down on me because I'm not strong yet, but I will definitely cultivate diligently. One day I will be able to use the power of the Crimson Heart Pill at will, and then I can protect you."
After finishing speaking, he didn't forget the final step of planting the Soul Flower. Mu Meng closed his eyes and clasped his hands together devoutly.
A soft, wispy light emanated from her slender, white fingertips: "The flowers offer their promise, hoping my brother Mu Qingheng will always be safe and sound."
Mu Meng is the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, a noble princess of the Heavenly Clan. Her prayers themselves possess great power and are imbued with a sacred aura.
Mu Qingheng looked at her, listening attentively.
When Mu Meng said, "May my brother be safe forever," he almost forgot for a moment that he would take her life in the near future.
Unaware that he was emptying his mind and thoughts for the first time, he was listening intently to the little girl speak.
I was so focused that I missed the faint "thump" sound coming from my chest.
...
After Mu Qingheng's birthday celebration, the Heavenly Emperor drafted the charges against Yunze Realm. The announcement of these charges caused an uproar of indignation.
Most of the comments condemned Yunzejing for its wolfish ambitions and heinous crimes. However, a small minority disagreed, stating that the Crown Prince's power of life and death rested entirely on his word, and that Yunzejing's crimes should be clearly explained from beginning to end, with complete evidence.
The one who caused the most trouble was Xi Chao Xianjun Chao Yu. He was a senior immortal in the Heavenly Clan. In terms of status and position, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call the Heavenly Emperor his elder brother.
On that day, a debate arose during the court assembly.
"I have always known that Your Highness is fair and upright, but everything must be based on evidence. How serious is treason? It cannot be let go just because of Your Highness's words."
“That’s right. Everyone has witnessed His Highness’s achievements over the years. I am only thinking of His Highness’s best interests. If this matter is not clarified, wouldn’t it become a stain on His Highness’s reputation?”
"It's just about presenting evidence to make the matter more convincing."
By the time Chao Yu's remarks reached Mu Meng's ears, the Heavenly Clan's court assembly had already been over for most of the day.
Mu Meng was packing up his handy immortal artifacts, planning to go down to the mortal realm again to investigate Yunze Realm. Upon hearing this, he frowned and, after hearing the whole story, was so angry that he almost cried.
Lingwei relayed all the words, and she spoke in great detail, but after a long time, she still hadn't gotten to the point. Mu Meng got anxious and grabbed her hand: "Let's not talk about these things. What is Father Emperor's attitude? What did Brother say?"
Lingwei hesitated for a moment before answering directly: "Your Highness, you know... Xi Chao Immortal Lord has always been like this."
She said indignantly, "Because of the rules of our ancestors, the position of Crown Prince should be established based on the virtuous, but His Majesty has established his own son, and for so many years he has been relentless, always trying to find fault with His Highness the Crown Prince."
"But His Highness the Crown Prince, being of noble birth, naturally possesses pride. He cannot simply agree to whatever Immortal Lord Xichao says..."
Mu Meng understood from this evasive answer: "Brother doesn't want to pay attention to such nonsense, but Father Emperor has already agreed to Xi Chao Immortal Lord's words? He also thinks that brother should provide evidence?"
Lingwei glanced at Mu Meng, biting her lower lip, unsure how to answer.
After hesitating for a moment, she stamped her foot, lowered her head, and said with grief and indignation, "It's a pity that His Majesty was in seclusion that day and didn't see with his own eyes how you were carried back by His Highness covered in blood—not to mention His Highness's great anger, even we servants wished we could rush to Yunze Realm and chop them up with our own hands to feel relieved!"
Even when Lingwei was still hesitating, Mu Meng had already made up his mind.
Her angry words that followed seemed to be muffled by a thin film, making them difficult to hear.
Mu Meng stubbornly bit her lower lip, her heart aching as if it had been rolled in oil, thinking of how her brother had been humiliated at today's court assembly.
Lingwei couldn't bear to see her like this and said with heartache, "His Majesty only said he would try his best to gather the evidence, not that he didn't trust His Highness the Crown Prince. The rebel is dead, everyone knows this is asking the impossible, where can we find the evidence..."
“It’s not that my brother doesn’t have evidence; he’s unwilling to agree because he doesn’t want to involve me.”
Mu Meng held back her tears, her watery eyes glistening with a hint of sadness. She took a deep breath and spoke rapidly: "What do you mean there's no evidence? If he wants evidence, let him have it. Everyone can recognize the scars caused by Yun Ze's spiritual power. If he doesn't trust others, he can come and see the wounds on my back himself."
This was no joke. Lingwei was startled: "Your Highness is out of your mind! Your precious body is not something that can be examined by others at will!"
Mu Meng's eyes were red, and she looked like a wronged little rabbit whose nest had been overturned, but she couldn't hide her determination: "This is the only way to make it work. I won't let Xi Chao Immortal Lord bully my brother."
After she finished speaking, she pushed open the door and ran outside.
...
Mu Meng wanted to run to see her brother immediately, but after running two steps toward his palace, she stopped.
She can't go. If she sees her brother, she'll definitely burst into tears, and he'll have to comfort her. Besides, he loves her so much; he would never allow her to be the evidence.
Going to Father and Mother again is useless; Father will never go back on his orders. Since things have come to this, Brother must produce evidence that will leave Xi Chao Immortal Lord and the others speechless.
Mu Meng went directly to Chao Yu's residence.
Chao Yu lived in a remote place because he was aloof and eccentric, and had been disrespectful to Mu Qingheng for many years, so Mu Meng rarely set foot here.
Mu Meng originally thought that since Chao Yu disliked her brother so much, she probably wouldn't like her either, and that she would likely suffer some grievances on this trip.
To everyone's surprise, Chao Yu's attitude was quite amiable.
"Greetings, Your Highness. May I ask what brings you here? Oh, please come in."
He had a serious face with low-set eyebrows, making him look somewhat fierce. But Mu Meng noticed that Chao Yu twitched the corners of his lips, which seemed a little unaccustomed to it.
It was a bit strange, but his behavior made her feel a little more at ease.
After thinking for a moment, Mu Meng decided to get straight to the point: "Uncle Chao Yu, I've come to bother you about today's court assembly. I heard that you have some reservations about how my brother handled the Yunze region."
Chao Yu glanced at Mu Meng, her stiff smile slowly fading as she regained her usual cold expression: "You came here for this."
"yes."
"Did Mu Qingheng send you?"
Mu Meng quickly shook her head in denial: "No, brother doesn't know."
For some reason, Uncle Chaoyu misunderstood his brother so deeply. He was clearly such a good person. Mu Meng felt sorry for him and couldn't help but defend him: "Uncle Chaoyu, I came to see you as soon as I got the news. I haven't had a chance to see my brother yet. If he knew I was coming, he would definitely stop me."
Chao Yu listened with a calm expression, neither confirming nor denying: "Your Highness, what brings you to me at this hour?"
His eyes turned cold: "Are you trying to plead for His Highness the Crown Prince? Your Highness, if I may be frank, you were seriously injured and unconscious that day. When you woke up, everyone in Yunze Realm had been killed by His Highness the Crown Prince. Your testimony is not so credible."
Mu Meng knew he would say that; people may lie, but evidence doesn't.
“Uncle Chaoyu, I know that my brother and I have a deep bond, and you may not believe what I say, but I have marks on my body from being severely injured by Yunze’s spiritual power. You can tell with a simple examination.”
Chao Yu's expression gradually turned ugly: "What did you say?"
Mu Meng spoke calmly, having already thought it through on the way here: "Yun Ze's cultivation techniques are never passed on to outsiders, so no one can impersonate him; it's absurd to say that he's being controlled by someone, in which case there will definitely be two traces of spiritual energy on my body. After the examination, everything will be clear."
Chao Yu did not speak immediately.
After a long pause, he spoke in a deep voice, seemingly a little angry: "You are a princess, of noble birth, how can you allow yourself to be inspected so casually?"
Yes, it's naturally improper.
But there's no better way right now. We're not sure if the spiritual energy that flashed by that day belonged to someone from Yunze Realm. Even if it was, we don't know when we'll be able to find him. Should we just keep dragging this on?
Although this method might make me feel a little wronged, it is the fastest and most powerful evidence.
Besides... she was protecting her brother, so it's not really a case of her being wronged.
Mu Meng's eyes welled up with a bright, watery light as she looked intently at Chao Yu, awaiting his reply.
Chao Yu looked at her for a moment, then looked away and remained silent for a long time.
In fact, everyone knows perfectly well that there is no way to prove this matter. The Crown Prince and the Princess went to Yunze Realm, and as a result, the Princess was seriously injured.
Yunzejing controls the Azure Phoenix Feather and has a subtle relationship with the Celestial Clan. If the princess wasn't injured by them, then who was?
Besides, the little princess is the crown prince's darling; everyone has seen how much he's doted on her since she was little. Even a slight frown from his precious little sister is heartbreaking; it wouldn't be surprising if she did something after being hurt like that.
But Chao Yu still felt something was strange, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
After a long silence, he sighed heavily: "Your Highness, I am not comfortable having your personal maid examine the body. However, all my subordinates are men. There is a newly appointed General Xuantian, who is my disciple. He is upright and his conduct is impeccable. Would you be willing to have him examine the body?"
Mu Meng smiled, a smile that was innocent and captivating.
She whispered, "I do."
...
The night was heavy with darkness, without stars or moon.
Mu Meng came out of Chao Yu's place. She walked quickly with her head down. In the darkness, her gentle face looked somewhat pale.
As she walked, she blinked and smiled again.
When she arrived at Mu Qingheng's palace and saw the person she had been longing for, she finally couldn't hold back anymore—his grievances made her even more heartbroken than her own.
Mu Meng ran over and hugged his lean waist, burying her head in his chest.
"What's wrong, Mengmeng?" Mu Qingheng's clear voice sounded softly above her head, as gentle as ever: "Okay, my darling, don't cry, let your brother take a look."
His icy fingers gently lifted Mu Meng's chin.
Mu Meng grabbed his hand: "Brother, it's alright, don't be sad."
Mu Qingheng understood perfectly well that Mu Meng's visit to comfort him after receiving the news was entirely expected. He remained silent, gently stroking Mu Meng's hair with his large hand.
His gestures were extremely tender and gentle, yet his beautiful eyes and brows were cold.
He glanced at the cup of tea on the table, now cold—Mu Meng had come to see him much later than he had expected.
While he waited, he revised his wording twice more.
Mu Qingheng smiled and put his arms around Mu Meng's petite body, gently patting her back.
It doesn't matter if she's late; everything is proceeding as planned, without any deviation. Once she arrives, he will naturally and subtly guide her on what to do.
Mu Qingheng waited patiently for Mu Meng to sob in distress, without making a sound to disturb her.
However, she shed too many tears, which were warm and hot, and soaked the front of his shirt.
Gradually, Mu Qingheng's patting of Mu Meng's back slowed down, and a slight fluctuation appeared in his indifferent expression.
That's strange.
Perhaps it was because Mu Meng had lingered in his arms for too long.
Also because their clothes were soaking wet and stuck to their bodies.
Mu Qingheng felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation in his chest.
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