Wei Yingzhi still felt a little regretful that she couldn't turn the princess's sister into the princess's sister-in-law.

When leaving, Princess Changning personally escorted her out of the courtyard. As she watched her figure gradually disappear from her sight, the smile on her face unconsciously faded.

She sighed softly.

Wei Chenglin was her dream when she was young and the first person her heart moved with. However, she was also very clear that the engagement was arranged by her parents and Wei Chenglin had never had her in his heart.

In fact, one day after she recovered from her illness and returned to the capital from Yunyan Mountain, she went to see Wei Chenglin secretly, but what she saw was that he treated another woman with peerless beauty tenderly. She still remembers the tenderness in his eyes that could not be concealed at all, and his careful caring actions.

It was also at that time that she knew there was no hope for her.

What doesn't belong to her will never belong to her, no matter how hard she tries.

Somehow she thought of another gentle man who was completely different from Wei Chenglin, and the bitterness on her face was gradually replaced by tenderness.

She thought, maybe this was the legendary blessing in disguise. She lost the first person she fell in love with when she was young, but gained another person who was willing to accompany her for the rest of her life.

"The princess has already been engaged to the last imperial examination's number one scholar. They will get married after he returns to Beijing to pay homage to his ancestors. Alas, I thought she still had a chance to become my sister-in-law, but it turned out to be a false alarm." Wei Yingzhi said to Lin Fu while coaxing her son.

Pingfu was holding his son's soft little hand and shaking it gently, making the little boy smile at him with a cracked mouth. He just smiled when he heard Wei Yingzhi's words.

"This can only mean that Brother Chenglin and the princess are not destined to be together. Since the princess has found someone else, Brother Chenglin will naturally be no exception. Why are you so anxious?"

"How can I not be anxious? Mother and grandmother are even more anxious. You don't know that my mother has been asking around for girls of marriageable age in the capital, and is now discussing it with grandmother. Maybe in a few days they will go around looking for one again." Wei Yingzhi saw that her son's smile was so adorable that she couldn't help but kissed his little face, and then she said slowly.

Lin Fu could also imagine how anxious Shen Xinyan and the Grand Princess were about Wei Chenglin's marriage.

"It's just that this lifelong event can't be rushed no matter how urgent it is. Brother Chenglin is not like me. I have known my future wife since childhood and I engaged her very early." Speaking of this, Pingfu was somewhat proud.

Wei Yingzhi glared at him unhappily.

The couple soon moved on to other topics and moved on from the matter.

Naturally, Shen Xinyan soon learned that Princess Changning was already engaged, and the man she was engaged to was exactly her husband from her previous life. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

Perhaps Princess Changning and her husband are destined to be together. After going through so much trouble, they can finally become husband and wife.

However, the Grand Princess felt a little depressed when she found out.

Princess Changning was the first legitimate granddaughter-in-law she chose, and the one she was most satisfied with so far. What a pity...

If it weren't for the eldest daughter-in-law's interference, Princess Changning would have been married long ago. Why is it that until now, there is still no marriage for the eldest grandson. He saw that men of his age got married one by one and had children one after another, but he didn't even have a marriage arranged.

Thinking of this, she became even more annoyed. When the maid came to report that it was Madam Fang who wanted to see her, she directly refused.

"No!"

The maid didn't dare to say anything more, but looked at Shen Xinyan for help. Shen Xinyan helplessly ordered: "Take Madam Fang to the eldest lady!"

This Madam Fang is none other than the former wife of Marquis Pingliang, the mother of Fang and Fang Birong.

Although Pingliang Hou did not lose his life, his title was taken away by Emperor Yuanyou, and naturally his official position was also stripped away, and even his family was raided.

Today, the Fang family lives in a house that Fang gave them as a dowry. Although it is not as magnificent as the marquis's mansion, at least they have a place to live.

She could more or less guess why Mrs. Fang wanted to see the Grand Princess, and she thought it was probably nothing else except the matter of Fang Birong.

Fang Birong killed someone during her exile, which was a serious crime, and she was likely to be executed. Even though the whole family was implicated because of her daughter, how could Mrs. Fang really watch her die?

After thinking about it, the only person I can think of is the Grand Princess.

But now, the Grand Princess clearly didn't want to bother with their affairs anymore, so her trip was in vain.

When Wei Junhang came back in the evening, Shen Xinyan told him that Mrs. Fang had come to their house today.

Wei Junhang shook his head after hearing this: "Next time she comes to bother you, tell her that Madam Fang Wu has no worries about her life."

Shen Xinyan raised her eyes in surprise: "Has the verdict come out?"

Wei Junhang nodded, then shook his head and said, "The government has not tried the case, let alone made any judgment. Someone took her away from the prison early this morning."

"Who took her away? Where did she take her? How can you be sure that her life is safe?" Shen Xinyan asked repeatedly.

Wei Junhang did not answer but said: "I think if Madam Fang Wu were allowed to choose for herself, she would rather die..."

After falling into that man's hands, I have been living a life worse than death, with no end in sight. It would be better to be dead.

Shen Xinyan stared at him blankly for a long time, as if she understood something, but she didn't ask any more questions.

After dinner, the couple went for a walk in the garden to digest the food, and Shen Xinyan talked to him about the marriage of his eldest son.

"Lin'er's marriage has become a concern for mother. If it is not resolved, I'm afraid mother will have trouble sleeping and eating." She said.

Wei Junhang joked: "Is it only the mother who is having trouble sleeping and eating? Could it be that you are not the same?"

Shen Xinyan was not annoyed by his revelation. She just smiled and said, "Of course I am anxious too, but I am a little more patient than my mother. Could it be that seeing those people of your age become grandfathers, you are not anxious anymore?"

Wei Junhang laughed: "I'm already a grandfather, so it's not a big deal if I become a grandfather a little later."

Feeling his wife's reproachful eyes, he hurriedly said, "No matter how urgent this matter is, it can't be rushed. You have to see what Lin Ge'er means and what he has in mind. He is no longer the young boy he was back then, and he must have made plans for his life."

"If he doesn't want to, but you choose someone behind his back, it's not a good thing for both parties even if the marriage is settled."

Shen Xinyan naturally thought of this as well, sighed, and rubbed her forehead with a headache: "I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to my mother."

There was one thing she had never mentioned to anyone, and that was the age of the Grand Princess. Since the return of Wei Junhang and his son, the Grand Princess's health had improved significantly, and she had not been confused again, but she could not be completely relieved.

She even had a vague feeling that the Grand Princess seemed to have a premonition of her own death, which was why she was so anxious to arrange a marriage for Wei Chenglin, and she only wanted to see her eldest grandson's wife come home before she closed her eyes.

However, the girls they had chosen had already married one after another, so they would not wait until now. Therefore, this time it was equivalent to starting from scratch and screening the girls of the right age in the capital again.

The couple talked in low voices as they walked, and Wei Chenglin, who was unaware of what they said behind the flowers, heard it clearly.

Wei Chenglin stared at his parents' backs for a long time without saying a word. Finally, he let out a faint sigh.

He had just listened to his sister's nagging at the Marquis of Loyalty's mansion, and he did not expect to hear his parents worrying about his marriage when he returned home. He knew that his marriage could not wait any longer, because a man of his age would have already become a father long ago.

Thinking of Wei Yingzhi's nagging, he somehow thought of Princess Changning.

He admitted that when he learned from his sister that Princess Changning was engaged and would be married soon, he felt a bit uncomfortable.

It seemed as if he felt a little regretful, yet also a little relieved, all these feelings intertwined together, leaving him at a loss as to what to do.

His marriage...

The sound of his parents' conversation in the distance came slowly into his ears along with the breeze. After a long moment, he sighed softly.

There are three types of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no descendants. He is indeed at the age where he should get married and have children.

A few days later, Wei Chenglin walked out of the Xishan camp, took the reins from the guard, led the horse for a distance, and was about to mount the horse and return to the city when he suddenly saw Murong Jue, the second elder of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, appear in front of him.

"General Murong!" He was a little surprised, but still stepped forward and bowed politely.

"Prince Wei, are you planning to return to the city?" Murong Jue asked slowly with a sharp look in his eyes.

"That's right. General Murong is about to enter the camp?"

"Has Prince Wei been training troops in the camp these days?" Murong Jue asked instead of answering.

Wei Chenglin nodded.

Murong Jue looked at him deeply for a long time, but did not say anything. He just nodded slightly at him and then strode away.

Not far away, guards from the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion were waiting for him on horseback.

He came suddenly and left suddenly. Wei Chenglin was quite puzzled, but he didn't care too much.

Since Murong Tao was forcibly taken back by Murong Jue that day, he was locked up. He didn't have time to pay attention to the details. He only knew that this time, even if it was for the sake of explaining to His Majesty, Concubine Li, and the Third Prince, the Marquis of Zhenbei would not let Murong Tao off easily.

"What? Was it Wei Chenglin who did it?" Upon seeing his second brother coming back, Zhenbei Hou asked anxiously.

Murong Jue shook his head: "I don't think so. Wei Chenglin arrived at the West Mountain Camp to train the troops five days ago and has only come out of the camp today. I have verified this privately. Moreover, from what I have seen of his words and actions, he is very frank and does not seem to be lying."

"If it's not him, could it be the Third Prince? Or someone in the palace..." The Marquis of Zhenbei looked like he had aged several years. He slumped down on the armchair, muttering to himself.

Outside the house, he could faintly hear his wife crying. Thinking of that unfilial son, he rubbed his forehead.

He knew that the child, for whom he had placed high hopes, was now completely ruined!

Murong Jue also felt a little uncomfortable.

He had no children in his life and treated his nephews as his own children, especially Murong Tao, who was smart since childhood and much better than his peers. Naturally, he valued him more. However, he never expected that in the end, this child would disappoint him extremely.

"It shouldn't be in the palace. If Your Majesty wanted to deal with it, he wouldn't have just ignored it. Concubine Li is a woman in the deep palace, and her family members are not very capable. How could they have such ability?"

"So that's the Third Prince?" Marquis Zhenbei curled his lips bitterly.

"If it was the Third Prince, then it wouldn't be surprising. Tao'er kidnapped his wife, and His Majesty didn't openly pursue the matter. It's not surprising that the Third Prince felt uneasy and took such revenge."

"In the final analysis, it was the rebellious son who committed the evil first. If he had not been so lustful and bold, how could he have ended up like this today! The rebellious son's unfilial behavior has brought disaster to the entire family!" At this point, Zhenbei Hou finally shed two lines of heroic tears.

He had spent half his life in the military and was about to become famous, but he never expected that at the critical moment, it was his son who dealt him a fatal blow.

Murong Jue sighed and for a moment didn't know how to persuade him.

Even though the Third Prince was responsible for this incident, the Zhenbei Marquisate could not do anything about it, let alone pursue the matter, and could only swallow the bitter fruit in secret.

However, it is said that Wei Chenglin found out the reason why Murong Jue appeared in front of the Xishan camp to block him that day not long after he returned home.

He dismounted and threw the reins to the guards in the mansion. Just as he was about to return to his room, he saw the servants beside his father coming to invite him, saying that the Duke wanted to see him.

He did not dare to delay and soon arrived at Wei Junhang's study.

When I entered the study, I saw Wei Junhang sitting at the desk with a frown on his face, as if he was reading a letter.

"Father!" he called.

Wei Junhang raised his eyes and folded the letter in his hand: "Sit down!"

"Yes." Wei Chenglin sat down on the chair at the bottom.

"How has the training been these days?" Wei Junhang asked.

"The combat effectiveness of the soldiers in the Xishan camp still needs to be improved, but there has been some progress compared to before. I have benefited a lot from this battle with General Xia. I know that I still have many shortcomings in the application of military tactics." Wei Chenglin reported.

"It's good that you can recognize your own shortcomings and remain calm. You should know that there are always people better than you. Although you have made great contributions, it does not mean that you are the most outstanding general in the court."

"The child understands."

Wei Junhang gave him a few more instructions, and finally got to the point: "Murong Tao lost a pair of legs a few days ago. Did you know about this?"

"What? Murong Tao broke a pair of legs?!" Wei Chenglin widened his eyes in shock.

"Could it be the Marquis of Zhenbei..."

Wei Junhang shook his head: "He escaped while being escorted back to his hometown and suffered an 'accident' that broke both his legs. It is said that he could never stand up again, let alone wield a sword or a gun to kill the enemy in battle."

I believe he knows exactly what it means for a general to lose his legs.

Wei Chenglin's face changed. When he met his father's meaningful look, he shuddered. He stood up and walked quickly to his side, saying hastily, "Father, it's not me. I didn't do this. I have been in the West Mountain Camp all these days and have never left. If you don't believe me, you can go and verify it yourself."

Wei Junhang saw that he was so anxious that his face turned red, and there was even a bit of grievance in his eyes, which made him feel funny for some reason.

"Why are you in such a hurry? I didn't say this matter has anything to do with you." He cleared his throat and said helplessly.

Wei Chenglin pursed his lips, and this time even his tone was aggrieved: "Father, although you didn't say so, you thought so in your heart."

Wei Junhang was speechless.

"When did you become so powerful that you even know what your father is thinking?" He glared at him unhappily, "Sit down, what are you doing standing here, are you trying to be taller than me?"

Wei Chenglin did not dare to retort and sat down again obediently, but his eyes were fixed on him the whole time.

Wei Junhang finally couldn't help laughing: "Don't worry, father doesn't doubt you. It's just that Murong Tao's legs were broken in a strange way, so I called you to ask if you know anything."

Seeing his son move his mouth to speak, he quickly stopped him: "Now even father knows about it. You knew nothing about it, and it has nothing to do with you."

Wei Chenglin finally breathed a sigh of relief. After thinking for a while, he told him that Murong Jue had come to look for him.

"As expected, it seems that you are the first person suspected by the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion." Wei Junhang was not surprised by this.

It was he himself. When he first learned that Murong Tao was in trouble, the first thing that came to his mind was whether this matter was related to his eldest son. However, when he thought about what his eldest son had done recently, he finally chose to believe him.

"Do you have anyone you suspect?" Wei Junhang asked again.

Wei Chenglin thought about it seriously: "I don't know how many enemies Murong Tao has in recent years. If you look at what he has done recently, Concubine Li and the mother and son of the Third Prince are more suspicious."

"Naturally, in the eyes of the Zhenbei Marquis's family, the child is also a person with a serious suspicion." Wei Chenglin said frankly.

"You missed someone." Wei Junhang took a few sips of tea and reminded.

Wei Chenglin frowned and asked hesitantly, "There's another one? Father, are you referring to Lord Zhou?"

Wei Junhang nodded: "Murong Tao has hurt his daughter. Given Lord Zhou's love for his daughter, it is not impossible for him to plot revenge."

"But Lord Zhou is just a civil servant. The Zhou Mansion was completely wiped out after the rebellion. How could Lord Zhou defeat the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion? And how could he severely injure Murong Tao under the heavy guard?" Wei Chenglin still couldn't believe it.

It's not that he didn't suspect Zhou Mao, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that the possibility was not high.

Wei Junhang raised his eyes and glanced at him, saying meaningfully: "You really underestimated Lord Zhou. He was able to find another way out under the pressure of Prime Minister Zhou and Queen Zhou, and was able to escape from the stormy Zhou Mansion unscathed. Lord Zhou is definitely not as weak as you think."

"Chenglin, sometimes it's not whoever has the harder fist that wins."

Wei Chenglin was silent.

Wei Junhang didn't say anything else. He lowered his head and continued to look through the books on the desk.

***

Murong Tao woke up from severe pain, with beads of sweat the size of beans dripping down his face. He clenched his teeth tightly, veins bulged on his forehead, and his face was pale as he tried to resist the huge pain that felt as if all the bones in his body were crushed.

He seemed to hear his mother's crying and his father's sighing in his ears, and occasionally the low voice of his second uncle, but he was unaware of it.

Seeing her son in such pain, Lady Zhenbei Hou cried even louder, until she was hoarse and in agony.

Even the Marquis of Zhenbei couldn't help but have tears in his eyes at this moment.

The eldest son was mediocre, the second son was weak, but the youngest son was the most like his grandfather. He was very smart since childhood and was a good material for learning martial arts. All his hopes in life were placed on him.

But now, it was this little son who shattered all his hopes.

His lips trembled, and the sorrowful cries of his wife beside him seemed to torment his heart. He dared not listen any more and stumbled out of the door.

"My legs, what's wrong with my legs?! What's wrong with my legs!!" After a long time, Murong Tao's terrified and desperate voice suddenly sounded from behind.

He only felt his body shaking even more violently.

"Son!!" The wife of Zhenbei Marquis cried bitterly, mixed with Murong Tao's crazy shouting.

"My legs, my legs, where are my legs!!"

His eyes were red, and he didn't dare to listen to his son's desperate and sorrowful cries and questions.

Even though he hated him for being incompetent and bringing trouble to the family, he didn't want to see him become a useless person from now on. After all, he was his own flesh and blood. How could it be his fault that he ended up like this?

If a child is raised but not taught, it is the father's fault. Ultimately, how can he, as a father, fulfill his responsibilities?

"Wei Chenglin, it must be Wei Chenglin, it was Wei Chenglin who harmed me!!" Murong Tao's crazy shouts were filled with an intense hatred that could not be dissolved.

His heart was shocked. He turned around abruptly and strode into the house. Murong Jue, who was inside, had already grabbed his nephew's hand and asked, "Did Wei Chenglin hurt you? Are you sure?!"

"It must be him, it must be him, Wei Chenglin, I will not let you go, I will not let you go!" Murong Tao seemed not to hear his words and just kept talking.

His eyes were filled with deep hatred, and his face was distorted by anger and despair.

Murong Jue slowly let go of his hand, his eyes full of disappointment.

Zhenbei Hou couldn't bear to listen any longer, so he rushed forward and slapped him hard in the face.

"You rebellious son, you are still stubborn and refuse to change your ways!"

That wasn't Wei Chenglin at all; it was obvious that this rebellious son had subconsciously identified him as someone else!

"I didn't, father. He was the one who harmed me. It must be him. He was so angry that I took Ah Wan away. He was..."

Before he could finish his words, the Marquis of Zhenbei slapped him again, causing his face to tilt to the side.

"Stop hitting him, Lord Marquis. Stop hitting him. He's already badly injured. If you continue hitting him, you'll be killing him!" Lady Zhenbei Marquis cried and rushed over to stop her husband from hitting her again.

Even Murong Jue stood in front of Murong Tao and advised, "Brother, stop it!"

The Marquis of Zhenbei was so angry that his face turned ashen and his eyes were wide open. He stared at his son on the bed for a long time and then let out a long sigh.

"You rebellious son have brought shame upon my Murong clan. I, Murong Jian, feel ashamed of my ancestors!"

After saying this, he turned around and walked out the door without lingering. His back, which used to be straight, now looked a little hunched and a little droopy.