Chapter 127 Last Words and Relics
Mu Zhen spoke so much in one breath, suddenly becoming like a fish that had been out of the water for too long.
Doctor Luo shook his head helplessly and stepped forward, pinching his neck twice more before he could catch his breath and slumped onto the pillow.
Faced with such a scumbag father, Mu Xi was at a loss for words.
He devoted his entire life to the word "loyalty," which seemed to make him appear upright and righteous. However, from the perspective of father-daughter affection, he treated his daughter as private property, an object to be sacrificed, and he has not even offered a word of apology to this day.
Mu Xi didn't have much affection for this version of her scumbag father; she only felt sorry for the original owner's spirit in heaven.
She then thought of how the original owner's mother was also part of the sacrifice, and couldn't help but glance at Marquis Shen Lun of Yong State out of the corner of her eye.
Shen Lun stood at the foot of the bed, his face showing no remorse towards the original owner or her birth mother. Instead, he said, "Those who achieve great things throughout history do not concern themselves with trivial matters, and the views of women and children are even more insignificant. All these years of unfulfilled ambitions, haven't they all been wasted on the women of the royal palace? Now, Your Majesty may have regrets, but fortunately, we are still here. Your Majesty need not feel guilty. Since they are our children, we have raised them. As the saying goes, 'Our bodies, hair, and skin are given to us by our parents; we cannot disobey our fathers' commands. If we do not deviate from our fathers' ways for three years, we can be considered filial.' Mu Xi's behavior is simply due to her daily life while impersonating the crown prince, and because she has read more books than the average girl. I will correct her slowly in the future."
These words sounded utterly disgusting to Mu Xi.
The good impression left by Marquis Shen Lun of Yong State's timely appearance and rescue at the birthday banquet has vanished.
Upon further reflection, I remembered Granny Li and Qing'er in the hall earlier.
The deaths of the mother and daughter were ostensibly caused by Ma Zheng's coercion, but at their root, they were due to Shen Lun's few words of "merit."
Ultimately, neither Granny Li nor Qing'er necessarily had to die.
At least if she had let the drunken persona come out sooner, or if Shen Lun had used his status as the Marquis of Yongguo to forcefully suppress it, she and Granny Li and her daughter could have been saved.
There was absolutely no need for that.
Mu Xi was terrified upon closer examination.
After recovering a little, Mu Zhen turned around with difficulty and groped her way into the bed.
After a long struggle, he pulled out a rectangular wooden box and handed it tremblingly to Mu Xun: "Scholars die for their principles, warriors die in battle, but alas, the king has already died for his country. I have lived for so many years, and it has all been in vain... All I can leave you now are these three letters. Keep them safe, you will need them someday. When that day comes, I will be able to give an account to your biological father in the afterlife."
Mu Xun knelt down again, blankly accepting the wooden box with both hands. He opened it and found three sheets of paper that looked like fish skin inside.
Marquis Shen Lun of Yongguo immediately recognized what it was and, feeling sorry for Mu Zhen's difficulty in speaking, took over the conversation: "Alas, Yansheng is surrounded by the sea on all sides. For thousands of years, pirates have roamed freely, and in their arrogance, they have penetrated deep into the interior, almost slaughtering all the people of Yansheng and nearly causing their clans to be wiped out several times. No matter how the dynasty changes or what royal family they belong to, the people of Yansheng will never associate with pirates. However, Mu Ji framed the Xi clan with the crimes of 'inviting pirates into the wall and flattering the pirates while betraying the people,' and his rebellion was also under the pretext of 'driving out foreign pirates and expelling internal traitors.' These three letters are evidence of Mu Ji's boundless lineage."
Mu Xun stared at the three letters but showed no intention of picking them up to examine them closely.
Shen Lun continued to talk to himself: "Hehe, judging from these three letters, the Xi family has never colluded with 'foreign invaders'. On the contrary, it was Mu Ji, the instigator, who joined forces with the pirates to frame the Xi family and even turned some of the pirates into the current 'Red Carp Guards'."
"Ah..." Mu Xi was deeply impressed by the ruthless Red Carp Guards, and couldn't help but ask, "How did you obtain such confidential letters?"
Shen Lun then bowed to Mu Zhen: "Thanks to you, Lord, you have always been a loyal minister of the Prince of Yan and a pillar of the Mu family. During the years of campaigning against the Xi family's Han Hai Army, you carefully investigated and intercepted these three letters. However, to avoid alerting the enemy, you never had the opportunity. Over the years, Mu Ji may have had his suspicions about you, Lord, but fortunately, you have always kept a low profile and been patient, which has allowed you to survive until now."
Those who steal a hook will be punished, while those who steal a state will become princes.
History has always been like this.
"Justice" always stands on the side of victory; that's all there is to it.
Mu Xi had nothing to say, but... with this, everything changed.
While Shen Lun was speaking, Mu Zhen struggled to retrieve a brocade box from under the bed.
The brocade box was opened, revealing a round gold lock with two gold chains hanging from it.
Mu Zhen took out the gold lock, twisted and pried it with his fingers, and the round gold lock immediately turned into two crescent-shaped gold locks.
After examining it for a while, he handed one of the pieces to Mu Xun: "Take this half of the gold lock; it contains an extremely important secret."
Mu Xun closed the wooden box containing the three fish-skin letters, and then took it with both hands, still in a daze.
Mu Zhen then held up the other half to Mu Xi: "Take this half; it contains an extremely important secret."
Mu Xi wanted to ask a question, but seeing Mu Zhen's dying face, she couldn't say a word. She could only follow Mu Xun's example, half-kneeling and half-squatting down to receive it with both hands.
Mu Zhen concluded, “These two golden locks, one half for each of you, cannot be opened when separated, but can only be opened when they are joined together as interlocking clasps. I have no other request, only that after my death, until the great cause of restoring the kingdom is accomplished, they can be joined together and opened for viewing. It is late, but the great cause will be accomplished, and it will surely… it will surely…”
"What's inside? Why wait until then?" What Mu Xi really wanted to ask was, what does this have to do with her?
Whose country is being restored?
Once the Xi clan restores its kingdom, wouldn't the Mu clan cease to exist?
Mu Zhen was too weak to say anything more and looked at Marquis Shen Lun of Yongguo behind the two of them: "I am nearing the end of my life. From now on, you will all be arranged by your uncle. When the time comes, he will naturally explain everything to you."
Mu Xi still wouldn't listen. She picked up the crescent-shaped gold lock and stood up: "There may be a secret in this gold lock, but what does it have to do with me? If it has nothing to do with me, why should I go through all the trouble to cooperate with you and hand over the position of heir apparent?"
This was said in anger, but it was also the truth.
“It is naturally related to your well-being… cough cough… daughter… please listen to your father one last time…” Mu Zhen was barely breathing after saying this.
Doctor Luo rushed forward and tried to pinch the philtrum with his fingers, but it didn't work.
"Hah...Hah..." That was the last breath that tore at the lungs, followed by a hollow and exhausted sound from the throat.
Shen Lun scolded from the side: "At this point, as a child, can't you even say a word?"
Mu Xi opened her mouth, wanting to say something to comfort her.
She wasn't deliberately cold, but she genuinely couldn't muster any emotion or utter a sound.
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