Wei Chenglin stared at the mother and her two children as they walked away. After a long while, he slowly turned around and looked in the direction where Wei Chengzhao had just stood.

There was nothing but white fog in the distance. There was no sign of anyone. There was no sign of "Second Uncle coming to pick up Second Aunt".

He couldn't tell whether he was feeling disappointed or something else.

"Ming'er, did you see your grandmother just now?" After hesitating for a while, he couldn't help but ask his son behind him in a low voice.

It is said that children have the clearest eyes. When my mother was alive, she loved her grandson Ming Ge'er very much. Maybe...

The seven-year-old Ming'er blinked and said, "Grandma?"

Seeing him like this, Wei Chenglin's eyes flashed with disappointment, and he said softly, "It's nothing, go back."

Not until everything returned to calm did a somewhat hunched figure slowly walk out from behind the tall tree. The man staggered to the new grave, knelt down with a thump, and burst into tears.

"younger sister……"

Wei Chenglin, who had left and returned, had tears in his eyes. He looked from afar at Jing'an Bo who was crying in front of the grave, his throat choking with sobs several times.

The suicide of his cousin Shen Huiran caused a complete break between the Duke of Ying's Mansion and the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion. They had no contact for several years, and the gifts he sent to the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion during festivals were all returned without exception.

It was not until now, looking at the grief-stricken Marquis Jing'an, that he realized that even with the distance and alienation, the blood relationship could not be blocked.

"Uncle..." He finally couldn't help but stepped forward.

Jing'an Bo stopped crying, suddenly stood up and spat at him, gritting his teeth and cursing, "Beast!"

After cursing, he smiled miserably, pushed him away, and stumbled away.

A gentle breeze blew, sweeping the ashes in front of the grave farther and farther away...

***

After his biological mother passed away, Wei Chenglin observed mourning. Three months later, the emperor issued an edict to reinstate Wei Chenglin, and Wei Chenglin returned to the court. The court and the public once again felt the emperor's high regard for the Duke of England.

"Ming'er explained all the articles taught by the teacher yesterday. Xian'er was naughty and tested him with articles that he had never learned..." While helping him tidy up his clothes, Zhou Wanning told him the interesting stories of his twin children in detail.

Wei Chenglin just said "hmm" and said nothing more.

Zhou Wanning stopped moving his hands unconsciously, with a trace of bitterness on his face.

Ever since her mother-in-law passed away, she sensitively noticed that her husband's attitude had changed. Although he used to be cold and taciturn in front of others, he was the gentlest and most patient in front of her and the children.

But now, he has become taciturn, whether in front of others or behind their backs. Sometimes he would sit in a daze, and there were even countless nights when he woke up from a dream with tears in his eyes.

"Are you blaming me? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have sent your mother to the temple back then." Finally, she couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Wei Chenglin paused for a moment and said bitterly, "Why should I blame you? I made the decision and carried it out. If I have to blame someone, I can only blame myself."

Zhou Wanning bit her lips tightly, looked at his receding back, and was speechless for a long time.

Wei Chenglin's steps became faster and faster, and he almost trotted, as if he was eager to escape, until Zhi Mo came running towards him and reported with a grim face: "Duke, Mr. Zhou Er is in trouble!"

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, and it took him a while to remember that this Mr. Zhou Er was referring to his uncle, Zhou Zhuo, the second son of the current Minister of Revenue Zhou Mao and his wife's second brother.

"What happened to him?" He asked in a deep voice with his eyes lowered and no expression on his face.

"I accidentally rolled down the hillside and hit my head on a rock. I passed out on the spot and have not yet woken up. I don't know whether I am alive or dead!"

"What?! What happened to my second brother? How could this happen?!" Zhou Wanning, who found that her husband had lost the jade pendant on his waist, chased after him. When she heard these words, her face suddenly changed and she asked anxiously.

Zhimo reported the news he had just received to her.

Zhou Wanning staggered and almost lost her balance, but Wei Chenglin quickly supported her.

"Save my second brother, please find someone to save my second brother..." Zhou Wanning grabbed his hand and begged.

Wei Chenglin was silent.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhou Wanning became anxious and cried, "Save him, save him quickly, only you can save him..."

Wei Chenglin let her pull his sleeves for a long time before he said calmly, "Awan, have you forgotten what I promised my mother?"

Zhou Guanning stopped crying and looked at him with tearful eyes: "But, but you also said back then that it was just an accident and not the second brother..."

"I've also said that I won't pursue the matter, but from now on, his life or death, good or bad, has nothing to do with me!"

"It's windy outside and you're weak, go back!" Wei Chenglin slowly pried open her fingers that were grabbing his sleeves and said lightly.

Zhou Wanning watched him push her away and walk away with Zhi Mo, her eyes full of disbelief.

This was the first time since we got married that he left me and me.

"What exactly happened? How could an accident happen suddenly and I rolled down the hillside, and hit my head so coincidentally?" Wei Chenglin asked with a frown after returning to the study.

"The word 'accident' is just an excuse made by the local government. According to my subordinates' inference, Mr. Zhou Er must have been pushed down deliberately." Zhi Mo said frankly.

Pushing it down deliberately... Wei Chenglin's brows furrowed even more tightly.

"Did Zhou Zhuo offend anyone during his exile?"

"As far as I know, there is no such person." After a pause, Zhi Mo continued, "Besides, he has many people secretly sent by Lord Zhou to protect him. How dare ordinary people offend him?"

"To be able to pull off such a thing right under the nose of the person sent by my father-in-law, it shows how well this person can hide his true intentions." Wei Chenglin thought.

"Or it could also mean that this person hates Master Zhou Er so much that he even managed to deceive those who were secretly protecting him. This kind of patience to not give up until the goal is achieved is not something that ordinary people possess." Zhi Mo expressed his opinion.

Wei Chenglin nodded.

So, who did Zhou Zhuo offend? And who was willing to kill him at all costs?

"Duke, do we need to send someone to investigate?" After an unknown amount of time, Zhi Mo finally asked cautiously.

After all, Mr. Zhou Er is the lady's biological brother, so it is impossible for the lady to stand by and watch him die. The Duke has always doted on his wife, so if he could refuse once, could he refuse every time in the future?

It has always been difficult for a hero to resist the temptation of a beautiful woman, let alone a hero who has a special liking for beautiful women.

"No need! It has nothing to do with us!" Wei Chenglin replied calmly.

Seeing that he insisted, Zhimo said no more. To be honest, he didn't want the Duke to meddle in other people's business. No matter what the reason was, no matter how wrong it was, the fourth girl did die at the hands of Mr. Zhou Er. No one could deny this.

Moreover, once the news from thousands of miles away reaches the capital, it may take who knows how many months on the road. Even if one wants to track down the perpetrator, by the time they get back to the capital, the perpetrator may have already escaped and become impossible to find.

No one knew what tricks Zhou Mao used, but he managed to gain the tacit approval of Emperor Yuanyou and bring Zhou Zhuo, who had been exiled thousands of miles away, back to the capital. Unfortunately, doctors came one after another, but none of them could wake up the seriously injured and unconscious Zhou Zhuo.

At this time, Emperor Yuanyou suddenly promoted the Wang Cifu line in the inner cabinet, and the Wang Cifu's power increased greatly, and there was a tendency to suppress Zhou Shoufu. Zhou Shoufu was overwhelmed by this. To make matters worse, it was suddenly revealed in the palace that Empress Zhou was plotting to kill the royal heirs, causing the concubines in the harem to be childless for many years. Emperor Yuanyou was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. He actually found a lot of private things from Empress Zhou's harem.

Queen Zhou naturally cried out for justice, but Emperor Yuanyou was unwilling to listen to her and directly took away her phoenix seal and placed her under house arrest in the palace.

For a time, the Zhou Mansion, which had once been so prosperous with carriages and horses passing through its gates every day, suddenly became a target that court officials tried to avoid.

In the court, Prime Minister Zhou had a difficult time, and in the harem, Empress Zhou was helpless and even Zhou Wanning, who had never taken care of anything, began to feel uneasy day and night.

Wei Chenglin had a vague guess, but he was not sure in his heart.

How could Zhou Wanning feel at ease when something happened in her mother's family? Taking advantage of the day off, Wei Chenglin took her back to the Zhou Mansion.

Looking at Zhou Zhuo, who was pale and thin like skin and bones lying on the hospital bed, his eyes were somewhat complicated.

The scene of his younger sister Wei Yingzhi lying in a pool of blood and his mother embracing her body in grief reappeared in his mind. He took a deep breath and dared not think about it again.

Ying'er's death became a hurdle in her mother's heart, and her hatred for the Zhou family and Zhou Zhuo gradually shifted to her daughter-in-law. Back then, he spared Zhou Zhuo's life despite his mother's pressure, but now, he still couldn't escape the cycle of cause and effect and lay here in a state worse than death.

"Answer me honestly, does Zhuo'er's matter have anything to do with you?" The father-in-law and son-in-law were sitting in the study. Zhou Mao had a sullen face and sharp eyes. He did not miss any expression on his face and suddenly asked.

It's not that he is suspicious, but the only person who has such ability but hates his second son is his son-in-law.

Wei Chenglin answered frankly: "It has nothing to do with me!"

He has a clear conscience and naturally does not blame anyone.

Zhou Mao stared at him for a long time, and finally, he sighed: "After the imperial physician's diagnosis, it was clearly stated that Zhuo'er's hope of waking up in this lifetime is slim..."

Having said this, he seemed to have aged several years in an instant.

"Perhaps, this is really retribution. He accidentally killed your sister that year, and now he has suffered the same accident. Although he is alive, he is still dead."

This incident almost caused a split between the Wei and Zhou families, and the daughter was almost divorced by her mother-in-law on behalf of her son. Fortunately, the son-in-law was determined to protect her, but despite this, the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law reached a freezing point and could no longer be saved.

When he mentioned his sister who died young, Wei Chenglin remained silent.

Zhou Mao also knew what he was thinking, so he calmed down and changed the subject: "The assassin in the prison has been locked up for more than a year. Has his identity been found out?"

Wei Chenglin shook his head: "That man is a stubborn person and keeps his mouth shut. No matter how we ask him, he won't say a word. And His Majesty has also ordered that torture is not allowed. This is really a difficult situation."

"That person has an inexplicable hatred towards the royal family. Perhaps we can start from here and investigate in detail." Zhou Mao thought for a moment and suggested.

"We have sent someone to investigate, but we haven't been able to find out anything yet."

The father-in-law and son-in-law talked about official business for a while, and naturally, they inevitably mentioned the difficulties faced by Prime Minister Zhou and the crisis encountered by Queen Zhou in the palace. Wei Chenglin observed Zhou Mao calmly, and seeing that he had an indifferent expression, as if he didn't care at all, he became more certain of his guess.

After bidding farewell to Zhou Mao and his wife and returning home, he saw Zhou Wanning's eyes were red. He sighed softly and was about to say something to comfort her when he heard her pleading, "I want to go to the temple to ask for a peace amulet for my second brother, is that ok?"

Wei Chenglin only hoped that she could be a little more relieved, so how could she refuse? He nodded in agreement and told the driver to turn around and change direction.

The carriage was driving on a quiet path outside the capital. Suddenly, there was a gust of wind and a sharp arrow shot into the carriage, then stuck steadily into the wall of the carriage. Zhou Wanning, who was almost hit by the arrow, was so frightened that his face turned pale. Even Wei Chenglin was frightened and broke into a cold sweat.

"There's an assassin!!" The guards outside immediately surrounded the carriage tightly.

Wei Chenglin held Zhou Wanning in one hand and said a few words of comfort, while with the other hand he pulled out the sharp arrow from the wall of the car. When he touched the arrow, his expression changed again.

This is...the arrow used by soldiers in the army.

Who is it? Who wants to deal with me? !

With a "whoosh", there was another sound of a sharp arrow breaking through the air. Wei Chenglin was prepared and dodged sideways while holding Zhou Wanning. The arrow pierced into the wall of the car again.

He jumped out of the car amid Zhou Wanning's scream, and ordered the guards to protect his wife in a sharp voice. He looked around with sharp eyes, trying to see where the hidden arrow came from.

There was another "whoosh" sound, and an arrow shot out from the woods in the southeast direction. Wei Chenglin drew out the long sword of a guard beside him, flew into the air, and threw down a sentence "Protect the lady", and flew towards the direction where the arrow shot...

In the woods, a figure fled at the sound of the storm.

How could Wei Chenglin let the other party go? He used his luck and leaped again. Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the man, he suddenly stabbed at the other party with a sword.

It happened so quickly that the man suddenly rolled over and narrowly avoided his sword. When he was about to swing his sword again, the man was as nimble as a rabbit, dodging here and there. In a moment, he was eliminated in one fell swoop.

Wei Chenglin was furious and was not willing to give up. He rushed towards him and vowed to capture him to avenge the assassination he suffered today.

Behind him were two guards who had hurried over to help upon hearing the noise.

He chased for quite a distance, and every time he felt that he was about to catch the other party, he would let the other party escape at the most critical moment. This happened several times, and the man jumped a few times, and then he could no longer be seen.

"Your Majesty!" The guards who came to help also rushed to his side.

Wei Chenglin had a cold face, feeling as if he had been made a fool of.

He took a few deep breaths and wanted to chase based on his memory. Suddenly, a scream came from the northwest. His face suddenly changed color and he flew away with the two guards following the sound.

"Murong Tao?!" When he saw clearly the face of the blood-stained man in the trap, he felt as if struck by lightning.

In the trap, Murong Tao's legs had become twisted, and in an instant, blood dyed the place where he lay red.

"Tao'er!" Suddenly, a tall black figure passed by him. He felt a flash before his eyes. When he looked again, he saw Murong Jue squatting beside the bloody Murong Tao. His eyes were red and his face was distorted with fear and anger.

"Wei Chenglin, you've gone too far! The Murong family and the Wei family will never coexist from now on!" A moment later, Murong Jue rescued Murong Tao with the help of the guards. With rage in his eyes, he clenched his teeth and spoke word by word.

Wei Chenglin wanted to explain, but the other party didn't listen to him at all and left in a hurry with Murong Tao.

"My Lord Duke..." Zhi Mo, who had followed over worriedly and saw what had just happened, called out worriedly.

Wei Chenglin pursed his lips tightly, and after a moment, he sneered, "I, Wei Chenglin, have a clear conscience, and I don't care what others think of me. Murong Tao is insidious and cunning, and he has a deep hatred for me. He deserves this fate!"

"But now, I'm afraid the Zhenbei Marquisate has misunderstood..."

"It doesn't matter. Ever since I destroyed Murong Tao's martial arts, the two governments have been hostile to each other. No matter I am present or not today, this basin of dirty water will still splash on me." Wei Chenglin disagreed.

Destroying Murong Tao's martial arts was equivalent to ending his career as a military commander. How could the two brothers, Zhenbei Hou and Murong Jue, who had always regarded him as their successor, not hate him? But so what? If he wanted to blame someone, he should blame them for giving birth to an unfilial son who coveted someone else's wife.

He didn't take his life back then because of the respect given to Marquis Zhenbei and Murong Jue!

"But today's incident is quite strange. It seems as if our mansion is trying to confront the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion." Zhi Mo was always a little worried.

Wei Chenglin's eyes were deep, and he had already thought of this.

It seems that everything that happened today was directed at me.

Who is behind this plotting against him? Although he is not afraid of the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, it does not mean that he will be willing to be a gun for others!

"Let's go back and find out what's going on." He said with a frown.

Zhou Wanning was waiting for him anxiously in the carriage. He finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him return safely.

"What happened? Do you know who that person was?" she asked with concern.

"Murong Tao broke both his legs." Wei Chenglin was immersed in his own thoughts and didn't pay attention to her words for a moment, and suddenly said.

Zhou Wanning had never expected to get such an answer. He was shocked and his eyes widened: "Mu, Murong Tao broke both legs?"

Wei Chenglin didn't say anything else, his brows were furrowed, thinking about what had happened in recent days.

He received the imperial edict to reinstate his father. Zhou Zhuo, who was exiled thousands of miles away, "suffered an accident" and fell into a coma, his life or death unknown. Murong Tao broke his leg, and the Wei and Murong clan officially became enemies.

This was clearly a plot by someone behind the scenes, but why? Was it just to turn the Wei and Murong families against each other?

Because of the incident in which Murong Tao abducted Awan, the relationship between the Wei and Murong families had reached a freezing point. It always seemed a bit unnecessary to do this again now.

He thought hard, but couldn't find a reasonable answer for a while.

However, neither he nor Murong Jue had expected that after they left, a man in gray walked out of a small cave somewhere in the woods.

The man looked at their leaving figures, then looked at the bloodstains of Murong Tao left in the trap, and a sinister smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He said that one day these people would be made to pay with their blood!

Everything happened just as Zhimo had worried, the Murong family of Zhenbei Marquisate and the Wei family of Yinggong Mansion officially turned against each other.

Wei Chenglin already hated Murong Tao deeply, and it was difficult for him to have a good impression of the Murong family. He was not a soft persimmon that could be bullied by others. He fought back against Murong's advances without mercy. The two governments did not give in to each other not only in the court but also in the military camp.

***

Somewhere in the prison.

The man sat on the ground motionlessly. A ray of sunlight shone through the high window panes, illuminating his face, which was handsome despite being covered in dust.

From time to time, the sound of footsteps could be heard in the cell, but he was completely oblivious to it. His expression was wooden, as if nothing in the world could move him anymore.

"What's going on with this guy? Why hasn't anyone come to interrogate him?" a new jailer asked in confusion.

"Why hasn't he been tried? It's been almost a year and there's still no answer. The higher-ups don't allow torture, so they're just wasting time like this."

"What did he do to get arrested?"

"Assassinate King Cheng."

"Assassinate Prince Cheng? Prince Cheng has already been reduced to a low-ranking prisoner, why would we assassinate him? A prince who was once extremely glorious is now missing and his only son is dead. I'm afraid he is living a life worse than death. Why would we need to assassinate him?"

"Who knows? Maybe this man has an irreconcilable feud with King Cheng, and he must be killed to vent his anger."

"That makes sense. By the way, I just saw the Duke of England outside. I think he will come to try prisoners soon."

"Speaking of which, His Majesty also values ​​this Duke and has issued an edict to reinstate him. It is said that the old lady in the Prime Minister's Mansion is about to die. If something happens, I wonder if His Majesty will reinstate the Prime Minister this time."

"Shut up, don't talk, be careful what you say!"

The two were talking excitedly and didn't notice that the man in the cell, who was originally indifferent to everything, suddenly had his pupils shrink and the blood color on his face faded away.

She's dead?! Madam, she's dead?!

His lips trembled for a moment, and then a sentence escaped from his throat that had not made a sound for a long time with difficulty.

"Madam..."

Gone, the last bit of warmth he had in this world was gone...

"I, I want to see Wei Chenglin!"

"Hey, was he the one talking just now?" The prison guard at the gate was surprised and asked his companion in disbelief.

After all, this person hasn't said a word since he came in.

"I want to see Wei Chenglin!" The harsh but clear voice rang out again.