Chapter 249 Breakthrough
Mu Xi turned to look at Mu Dong, as if the sword Mu Heng had placed on her shoulder didn't exist: "Uncle, since things have come to this, we can't force things. I don't want chaos in the Western Regions, which would give outsiders an opportunity to take advantage of us. I hope that you will consider our past brotherhood with Father and send me out of the city."
"This...this...no...no..." Mu Dong was at a loss for what to do.
Mu Heng, however, was not about to let it go: "You think you can just leave like this? Now that you're here, my cousin will have to stay in the Western Territory for a while longer."
"Brother Heng, are you asking me to stay? Then I'll wait a little longer." Mu Xi remained fearless throughout, and after speaking, she sat back down in her seat.
Mu Heng then realized something was very wrong: "What do you mean by this?"
"What could it mean? I'm just a weak prince, Brother Heng, there's no need for you to be so alarmed." Mu Xi gently flicked the tip of Mu Heng's sword with two fingers, showing no intention of resistance.
Mu Heng's eyes darted around, completely bewildered: "You..."
The moment the word "you" left his mouth, Mu Dong, who had been in a superior position, suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and clutched his stomach, trying to run out.
"Father..." the twins, Mu Qiong and Mu Min, exclaimed in unison.
Everyone in the hall was caught off guard.
Mu Xi remained calm: "Uncle, don't panic. This isn't diarrhea, it's just intestinal cramps. I do have some medicine made by a doctor here."
"Your pills? Are you...?" Mu Heng suddenly realized.
But just as he was about to point his sword at him again, with a "clang," Liang Shuo behind Mu Xi made a move, also striking with his sword and knocking Mu Heng away.
Just as Mu Heng was about to retaliate, he suddenly froze, his expression contorted, and he couldn't help but clutch his stomach with one hand.
"ah……"
"Ouch..."
"Aww..."
...
Immediately afterwards, one after another, everyone in the hall, except for Mu Xi and her attendants, began to clutch their stomachs and cry out in pain.
"You...you actually drugged us?" Mu Heng finally confirmed, cursing through his pain.
Mu Xi then slowly stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the surrounding crowd: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I had no intention of doing this, but I had no choice. Please forgive me."
As they spoke, more people began to curl up and groan, and some weak civil officials even collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.
Mu Xi turned to Mu Dong, who was sitting in the upper position: "Uncle, please don't be offended. The world is in chaos and the situation is unclear. I came here alone, and I was afraid that something might happen. As the saying goes, 'One should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others.' This is also the way of war. I did not expect that the brotherhood between Uncle and my father is as clear as the sun and moon. However, my cousin Heng... This medicine will not harm the body and will not cause any major problems. As long as I endure it for twelve hours, the pain will gradually lessen. I apologize again."
After speaking, Mu Xi bowed solemnly to Mu Dong as an apology.
Mu Dong was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely. Knowing he was in the wrong, he waved his hand and couldn't say anything more.
Mu Xi then turned to the crowd below, adopting an understanding and magnanimous demeanor: "Yan Sheng is in turmoil, and people's hearts are unsettled. At such a time, it is only natural that your hearts are wavering. When I and the Second Young Master return together, I believe you will be able to think things through clearly. Tonight, those of you present, whether you participated or not, as long as you abandon the darkness and embrace the light in the future, I will forgive your past transgressions. I urge you to think carefully before acting."
After saying that, he was about to leave with his men.
Despite the sharp pain in his lower abdomen, Mu Heng roared, "Want to leave? Not so easy! Even if we have a problem with the food and wine, none of these black-armored soldiers or the generals outside the mansion have been poisoned by you."
"So what? Do you really intend to kill me, the dignified Prince Jin Fang, in public?" Mu Xi retorted.
"Heng'er...stop it..." Mu Dong was in so much pain in the main seat that he couldn't straighten up, but he still tried to stop him. "Don't let brothers kill each other. Can't we talk things over?"
"Negotiation? Hmph... There's nothing to discuss." Cold sweat dripped down Mu Heng's back, but he hardened his heart and shouted to the surrounding soldiers, "Take them down..."
Mu Xi was prepared and quickly retreated to avoid Mu Heng's sword strike.
"Protect the Crown Prince." Almost at the same moment Mu Heng gave the order, two angry roars erupted behind Mu Xi.
Liang Shuo and Peng Hai, who had been silent as if in the background, attacked at the same time.
Liang Shuo moved like lightning, his slender body exceptionally agile. Two gleaming short blades appeared in his hands without him even noticing, and he lunged straight at the two armored soldiers charging at the front.
Peng Hai let out a low roar, his obese body bursting with disproportionately rapid power, blocking Mu Xi like a wall of flesh. His large, fan-like hands grabbed the heavy sandalwood table and slammed it hard at Mu Heng.
Several guards beside him also attacked at the same time, and for a moment no one could get close to him.
"To catch the thief, first catch the king." As Mu Xi spoke, he had already retreated to the window on one side of the main hall, and took out a flying arrow from his sleeve and shot it into the sky.
The reason I came here was to guard against a possible trap, to see if my uncle's family was human or ghosts.
Upon investigation, it turned out that Uncle Mu Dong's honest appearance was genuine, and Mu Heng's treacherous and rebellious nature with his three-white eyes was also real.
Upon hearing the order, Liang Shuo and Peng Hai launched a pincer attack on Mu Heng.
Mu Heng, perhaps not expecting Mu Xi to have a backup plan, was startled by the sound of the arrow and shouted, "What are you all standing there for? There's no turning back now. If we fail, none of us here tonight will escape unscathed."
This encouragement stirred up many people who had not previously participated.
After all, the poison Mu Xi administered only caused abdominal pain and was not particularly harmful.
Even the brothers Mu Qiong and Mu Min, who had initially been observing, began to reluctantly step in to protect their elder brother, Mu Heng.
Amidst the chaos, Mu Xi observed the situation and, thinking of Mu Xun, launched into a heartfelt appeal: "Generals, I have come here not to seize military power, but because Yan Sheng is in turmoil, and the generals are leaderless, their minds are confused, and they are making mistakes that could lead to utter ruin. I fear that my late father's hard work has been in vain. Although I have been weak and sickly since childhood and am not fit to lead troops into battle, many of you must remember the Second Young Master Mu Xun from back then. What kind of person was he? What kind of heart did he have? If he were here, would he have allowed this rebellious act to happen tonight?"
Upon hearing this, many who were itching to act immediately held back.
However, with the two sides locked in a stalemate, Mu Xi's side ultimately did not have the advantage in numbers.
Since Mu Heng dared to do it, he was no pushover. With a whistle, countless armored soldiers wielding crossbows surged out from outside the main hall.
Upon closer listening, the sounds of battle and fighting could also be heard outside Jin Fangjun's residence.
Even with their combined efforts, Liang Shuo and Peng Hai were unable to break through Mu Heng's defenses despite his severe abdominal pain, indicating that they had underestimated his martial arts skills.
The saying goes, "Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake," let alone the fact that she's neither a "powerful dragon" nor is she even on "someone else's" territory.
Since they couldn't take it, they couldn't prolong the battle. Mu Xi quickly made a decision: "Break out and retreat outside the city."
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