Chapter 137 Mother's Heartache
Mu Xingci took a sip of tea, his eyes slightly curved. “Those ignorant believers can’t be bribed, so I bribed the high priest.”
"Ah? High Priest! How is that possible? He is a god-like figure in the Yan tribe. How could he be bribed by you so easily?" Shangguan Lan stood up in shock.
"Why not? As long as I can find his weakness, even if he is a god, he will surrender to me."
"I wonder what weakness the Marquis has found?"
"When I attacked Yufeng City, the chief of the Yan tribe came to me with the high priest to offer his surrender. I was glad to save my army from having to fight a battle.
At that time, I knew that they were the people from the Yan tribe you mentioned, so I took the opportunity to have a private conversation with the high priest for a while.
During the conversation, I learned that Yan Beihai and the high priest were brothers. However, due to the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, Yan Beihai could only take over the position of high priest, while Yan Beihai, as the elder brother, inherited the position of the patriarch of the tribe, enjoying the admiration of thousands of people and the tyranny of power.
I know full well that the desire for power is the greatest temptation in every man's heart. I only slightly provoked him, using the next clan leader as bait to lure him into joining me, and he agreed after hearing it."
"They looked for you?" Shangguan Lan was very surprised.
"Well! You were the vanguard at that time. I didn't tell you about this matter for the time being because I was afraid that you would be distracted." Mu Xingci said truthfully.
"No wonder. I've caused the Marquis trouble again."
"Don't be so polite to me. If we can eliminate Yan Beihai and other forces, it will also be beneficial to me. Just don't be soft-hearted when the time comes."
"Don't worry, my lord. There is no father-son relationship between us anymore." Shangguan Lan said with a slightly cold look in his eyes.
At this moment, there were two knocks on the door: "Brother, it's time for dinner. Mother and the others are waiting for you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door was pushed open by the visitor, as if the knock on the door just now was just to remind the people in the room that he was here.
Shangguan Lan looked at the newcomer with suspicion, but Mu Xingci glared at his second brother Mu Xinghan, who seemed serious but was actually a little naughty.
"Shangguan Lan, this is my second brother, Mu Xinghan! Second brother, this is Shangguan Lan, the commanding general of Jinxi City in Dongqiang." Mu Xingci introduced them to each other.
"I've long heard of your name, Master. Nice to meet you!" Shangguan Lan bowed and said politely.
"Same here! I'm really envious that the Commander-in-Chief can follow my elder brother to fight." Mu Xinghan smiled heartily.
"Second Master, you are joking. My Lord, if you have something else to do, I will take my leave." Shangguan Lan bowed and wanted to leave.
"I asked you to come at this time because I wanted to have a family dinner at my house. You have come all this way, so I must show my hospitality. Let's go! Let's eat in the front hall."
As he said that, Mu Xingci grabbed Shangguan Lan's wrist and walked out of the room with him.
On this day, the Marquis' Mansion was extremely lively. The Mu family members gathered together for a family banquet that lasted for more than an hour.
That night, Mu Xingci came out of the shower and sat in front of the mirror. Two maids were waiting to wipe his wet hair, but he looked at himself in the mirror with a somewhat absent-minded look. No one knew what he was thinking at this moment?
Just as he was in a daze, the old lady of the Marquis' Mansion, Mrs. Wu, pushed the door open and walked in, followed by two personal maids: "Xing Ci!" As soon as she came in, she naturally called out to her son.
"Mom! Why are you here?" Mu Xingci looked at his mother who was walking over.
"I missed you, didn't I? I was afraid you were tired these past two days, so I didn't disturb your rest."
"Mother still loves her son." Mu Xingci said with a smile.
Wu walked behind him with a loving look in her eyes and said to the maid, "You all go down!" As she said that, she took the cotton towel from the maid.
When only the mother and son were left in the room, Wu wiped his black hair without saying a word.
Mu Xingci didn't say anything, quietly enjoying his mother's love for him.
But the quiet atmosphere was finally broken by the sound of sobbing. Mu Xingci felt a little pain in his eyes when he heard it: "Mom! Your son is back safely. You should be happy. Why are you crying?"
"Mother is sad because she loves you. In my eyes, no matter how great your achievements are, they are not as good as good health. Just tell me...how hard will your future be with this hidden illness?" Mrs. Wu said while wiping her tears.
"Mom, you don't have to worry about me. Don't we still have Xinghan? Let him have more children in the future, and then adopt one to me." Mu Xingci turned around and held his mother's hand, comforting her.
"Xing Ci! I'm not saying anything bad about you, but why are you so kindhearted? If you hadn't agreed to cancel the engagement, the Grand Tutor's Mansion wouldn't have had the choice even if they didn't want their daughter to marry him. That way, you wouldn't have ended up living alone."
"Mother! How could I, a marquis and general, do such a wicked thing that would ruin someone's life? That's not how I behave in the world.
I have lived an upright life and absolutely cannot afford to be tarnished by this matter." Mu Xingci's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke righteously.
"Alas! It's too late to say anything now. Lin Yao has already married into the Shangshu Mansion, and she is two years older than her husband. The Shangshu Mansion has been very prosperous in the past two years."
"It's fine. As long as Lin Yao is doing well, that's all." Mu Xingci said calmly, then asked, "Mom, why hasn't my second brother gotten married yet? I don't have time because I'm fighting, but he shouldn't say he's too busy to get married."
"Neither of you two brothers gives me peace of mind. As soon as I tell him about marriage, he hides away and when he's pushed too far, he insists on waiting until you're married before he finds a wife."
Mrs. Wu, who had been so amiable just a moment ago, suddenly looked disappointed in her husband.
"Mom, don't be angry, I'll talk to him later."
"Okay! If he doesn't listen to you, you can beat him up, and I won't stop you."
"Okay!" Mu Xingci responded with a smile, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes.
The next morning, Mu Xinghan was woken up from his sleep.
"Brother! You won't let me sleep if you don't sleep. I finally have a day off, and you can't let me sleep a little longer."
"Why are you sleeping? You are not a child anymore, it's time for you to get married. I will ask someone to find you a marriage partner later." Mu Xingci acted like an elder brother who was like a father to him.
"Why should I be in such a hurry when you haven't even gotten married yet?" Mu Xinghan continued to lie there with his eyes half-closed.
"Can you be the same as me? The future of the Mu family depends on you."
"Brother, please don't give me such an important task. I can't handle it." Mu Xinghan said lazily.
Mu Xingci paused when he heard this, then laughed: "Xinghan, you are already 22, why haven't you gotten married yet?"
"Do you think I don't want to? But mother doesn't agree because she thinks the other person is of low status. Then I can only fight with her and see who can outlast the other?" Mu Xinghan's tone was annoyed.
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