Son of an old friend
Zhao Lingying already understood most of it. Her beautiful eyes flickered, and she said calmly, "Sister Huaying, are you talking about his mother, that... Han woman who married into the Khitan royal family?"
Mu Huaying sighed deeply and said, "She is probably not the lowly Han woman that Xiao Yue described. Xiao Yue's appearance, figure, and even his intelligence, methods, and decisiveness remind me of an old friend from many years ago."
Recalling Xiao Yue's demeanor, Zhao Lingying suddenly realized who she was referring to, and lazily smiled, "Is the one Sister Huaying is talking about your senior sister, Mo Yi Bi Shuang?"
Even the usually composed Sikong Zhao paled upon hearing this, exchanging bewildered glances with Xie Lang.
If we were to pinpoint the reasons for the downfall of the Qianhuan dynasty, the debauchery of the last emperor, the corruption of powerful clans, and the retreat of the Shangguan family were all interconnected, ultimately leading to an irreversible situation. However, the name Mo Yi Bi Shuang was the sharp blade that ultimately orchestrated the plot and overthrew the dynasty.
In the later period of the Former Huan Dynasty, powerful clans fought amongst themselves, and treacherous officials vied for power. Even the Hengzhou rebels sailed downstream, directly threatening Jianzhang Palace. Throughout this turmoil, Lady Huachi, Mo Yi Bishuang, with her silver tongue, played a crucial role in sowing discord. She wielded the words "fame" and "power" with unparalleled skill, making all those seeking power flock to her, even knowing the dangers ahead.
Historically, the more chaotic the political situation, the more insecure everyone in the court feels, and the more likely it is that betrayal and opportunism will escalate. Mo Yi Bi Shuang's skill in exploiting human weaknesses to create chaos in the country can be put to maximum effect.
However, until the fall of Huan, no one knew about all of Mo Yi Bi Shuang's actions, because the political situation was constantly changing and chaotic, with countless threads that were impossible to unravel. There were no wise men in the court, and no one could see the traces of Mo Yi Bi Shuang's scheme.
When Mo Yi Bi Shuang was dominating the court of the former Huan Dynasty, the four guards of Fei Feng, including Xie Lang, were all inexperienced young men who had no chance to get close to a powerful and influential figure like Lady Hua Chi.
Everything was discovered after the founding of the Dayan Kingdom.
After Gu Yi laid the foundation for the Dayan dynasty through a brutal purge, Mo Yi Bi Shuang resorted to her old tricks, intending to infiltrate the Dayan court under a new identity and continue her strategy of dividing and disintegrating the dynasty. However, all sorts of clues could not be hidden from Mu Hua Ying, the Minister of Justice at the time.
At that time, Mu Huaying was already using the method of ensnaring and implicating people in the capital, using various cruel tortures to interrogate and extract the ins and outs of various forces, pulling them out by the thread. Mo Yi Bishuang walked right into her net and was captured in one fell swoop.
Under severe torture, Mo Yi Bishuang had no choice but to confess to all her deeds, including those she had committed before the reign of Emperor Qian Huan. Only then did Zhao Lingying and the others realize that the once-powerful Lady Huachi of the previous dynasty had actually been a spy from the Northern Qiang from beginning to end, and that her ultimate goal was to overthrow the Southern dynasty.
Mu Huaying not only executed Mo Yi Bishuang, but also wiped out all the spies and informants that the Northern Qiang had planted in the Southern Dynasty, thus bringing ten years of peace to the Dayan Kingdom. However, after this incident, Mu Huaying requested to resign from his post and withdrew from the burgeoning and turbulent political arena.
There was one thing that only Fei Feng, the other three who were closest to Mu Huaying, and Xie Lang knew.
The reason Mu Huaying was able to witness Mo Yi Bishuang's every move and plan so clearly and accurately, and thus strike precisely and ultimately catch her in the net, was because Mo Yi Bishuang could be considered her fellow disciple.
As early as previous generations, the Mo Yi family was a leading legal family in the Central Plains. Mu Huaying, from the Mu family, had studied under the Mo Yi family, learning the Legalist school's methods of strict administration. The Mu family's legal expertise can be said to have been entirely inherited from the Mo Yi lineage, but in Mu Huaying's hands, it was carried forward and developed to the point that he surpassed his predecessors.
The Mu family migrated south relatively early, crossing the river not long after the establishment of the Southern Dynasties. At that time, the former Huan also needed judicial talents, so they became the highest official in charge of law and criminal justice, the Tingwei.
However, the Mo Yi aristocratic families who remained in the Central Plains were not so fortunate, and were wiped out in the chaos of the Five Barbarian Invasions. How Mo Yi Bi Shuang, an orphan girl, managed to escape alone and successfully cross the border to the south remains a mystery.
However, at that time, the Former Huan dynasty treated all the aristocratic families who had migrated south with great favor, because people are the foundation of politics, and the aristocratic families of the Central Plains, who shared the same roots and interests, were originally the foundation of the rule of powerful clans. Moreover, Mo Yi Bi Shuang was skilled in diplomacy and had a silver tongue. She was originally a daughter of a famous aristocratic family, and everyone regarded her as a great talent for governing the country and a pillar of the state. Therefore, she was granted the title of Lady Hua Chi.
Xie Lang said coldly, "When you arrested Mo Yi Bi Shuang, you never mentioned that she had a son."
Given Mo Yi Bi Shuang's treasonous and rebellious actions, punishing her entire family would be too lenient; eliminating her completely would be the only option. How could they be allowed to spring up again and turn into a raging fire?
Seeing the situation, Sikong Zhao immediately defended Mu Huaying, saying, "Your Majesty, please understand: First, all the current situations are just our speculations, and there is no evidence that Xiao Yue is the son of Mo Yi Bishuang; second, even if Xiao Yue is the son of Mo Yi Bishuang, his arrival as a special envoy of the Northern Qiang indicates that he most likely lived in the north before. When Mo Yi Bishuang came south, she probably did not bring this child with her. Therefore, when Sister Huaying arrested her, she probably did not know about this child."
In fact, among everyone present at this moment, the one who was most shocked was A Qiu.
Because she was the only one who knew without a doubt that what Mu Huaying said was basically true. Her second senior brother, Mo Yimingyue, who used the alias Xiao Yue, was the son of Mo Yibishuang. Because the surname Mo Yi was not so common, if it were mentioned, people would first think of the prestigious Mo Yi family of the Central Plains.
Mu Huaying's face was blank. Suddenly, with a "thud," she knelt heavily on the ground and said in a hoarse voice, "To be honest, Your Majesty, I have seen this child."
The entire hall was stunned, and no one could utter a single word.
No one could have imagined that the notorious and fearless "Handed Yama" would release criminals.
That was ten years ago.
The Grand Commandant of the Great Yan, Mu Huaying, never made a point of leaving. At this moment, the room was surrounded by the Grand Commandant's men, forming a tight net to closely monitor every move.
She calmly brushed the dust off her clothes and stepped into the thatched hut of the farmhouse. What greeted her was Mo Yi Bi Shuang, dressed as a peasant woman with a blue cloth turban, standing gracefully with her hands behind her back.
Beside her stood a boy of about eleven or twelve, whose sharp, bright eyes, like those of an eagle, turned around at the sound and stared at her warily.
At the same time, Mo Yi Bi Shuang's voice rang out softly: "Junior sister, if you take another step forward, the nearly one hundred stones of gunpowder buried underground will immediately explode, and you and your people will all perish in this sea of fire. Do you think it's necessary for us, fellow disciples, to have such a bloody and violent meeting for the first time in so many years?"
Mu Huaying immediately stopped upon hearing the sound.
No one knew her senior sister's abilities better than she did. The mere fact that she was the former Lady Huan Huachi was enough to deter her from making any rash moves.
Upon hearing that voice, a vivid yet incredibly distant memory suddenly surfaced clearly in her mind.
Mo Yi Bi Shuang made a mistake; this was not their first meeting as fellow disciples.
Back then, Mo Yi Bi Shuang's lively and charming voice rang out in the study of the Mo Yi family, just like it is now.
"If you guys aren't afraid of a fight, then come on over."
The difference was that back then, with her hair styled in a bun, she was being protected by Mo Yi Bi Shuang behind her.
In the Central Plains, the Mu family was not considered particularly powerful compared to the established and deeply entrenched aristocratic families of Luoyang. At most, they were just a newly emerging humble family. To be able to become a disciple of the Mo Yi family, a family with a long and distinguished academic tradition, when they were serving as the Imperial Censor, was already an extraordinary honor.
As a result, Mu Huaying, who was cold and sullen, was often ostracized and bullied by the children of other prominent families.
However, Mo Yi Bi Shuang, the senior sister who manages the order of the study hall, has always been deeply versed in the Legalist principles of strict laws and clear distinction between right and wrong. Whenever those spoiled brats frame her, Mo Yi Bi Shuang can see through them at a glance and punish them with a ruler.
Dressed in a bright green robe, with a beautiful face, the senior sister was impartial and never showed favoritism to those in power. In her eyes at that time, she was so majestic and awe-inspiring.
It was also the ideal she had secretly admired for many years.
She cleared her throat, then looked at the young man beside Mo Yi Bi Shuang, and slowly asked, "When did Senior Sister have such a big child?"
It is both a blatant threat and a subtle warning.
There was also a hint of wanting to prove that Mu Huaying had been diligently improving her family's traditional skills over the years, never forgetting them.
The Mu family, known for their legal expertise, never forgot the kindness of the Mo Yi family in giving a poor scholar the opportunity to advance his career.
Her reprimand was effective; Mo Yi Bi Shuang finally turned around and gave her a cold look.
When Mo Yi Bi Shuang met her gaze, she showed no sign of recognizing her, only a cold and sinister look, as if she were in a deep, still pool.
She spoke softly, "If it weren't for this child, you wouldn't have the chance to speak to me here, understand?"
At this moment, Mu Huaying understood that she wanted to make a deal with her using this child.
In the past, Su Shou Yanluo would never have allowed anyone a chance to bargain with her. But at this moment, her heart softened for a fleeting instant.
Let the Mo Yi family leave a trace of their bloodline in the world one last time.
Xie Lang's face turned extremely pale, and he burst into a series of coughs.
Then, in a hoarse voice, she said, "Releasing a wanted criminal is a capital offense. Sister Huaying, you can't possibly be unaware of the principle of 'cutting the weeds by removing the roots.'"
The "rooting out" strategy in the eyes of politicians is often not simply out of ruthlessness, but because they fear that if the descendants of their enemies were to return for revenge one day, it would be a source of disaster for their own nation.
Peace has always been bought with sacrifice and bloodshed.
Mu Huaying was stunned. Of course she understood. In her life, she had personally witnessed more lives taken than anyone else present. Half of the blood debts that had been inflicted on the Great Yan Empire were on her shoulders, while the other half were borne by the Junior Tutor, Gu Yi.
But the moment Mo Yi Bi Shuang spoke up, the quiet little girl from years ago returned to her body.
That was the little girl who had secretly sworn that one day, if I were to don the purple robes and wield great power, I would do my utmost to fulfill whatever Senior Sister Bishuang asked for.
And that moment was the time to repay her.
Zhao Lingying, who was usually sharp-tongued, was unusually silent at this moment, not uttering a single word.
An awkward silence fell over the scene.
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