But the good times didn't last long. The Northern Yan suddenly attacked, and in that battle, the old Duke of Dingguo suffered a crushing defeat, and a swift one at that. By the time the news reached your maternal grandfather in the capital, the entire old Duke of Dingguo's family had already perished in battle.
Bai Chuxiao exclaimed in surprise, "How could this be? The old Duke of Dingguo fought countless battles throughout his life. Even if he was outmatched, surely not all of them would have died? Among them..."
Murong Cheng sighed, "Even you can tell something's wrong, how can your maternal grandfather and General Wan believe it?"
"Father, what exactly happened?" Murong Xuan asked, puzzled.
"You know Wei Junyan, right?"
"The current Duke of Zhenguo? I heard he was promoted because of his meritorious service in that battle."
Murong Cheng snorted coldly, "Back when the world was still unstable, he was just a captain."
"Father, but wasn't the rumor that he discovered something amiss, returned in time to report the news, and then brought reinforcements to reverse the tide?" Murong Xuan asked疑惑地问道.
"Not long after your maternal grandfather and General Wan were transferred away from the old Duke of Dingguo's side, His Majesty suddenly took Wei Junyan's sister, Wei Mingyue, as a concubine, and Wei Junyan was gradually promoted to deputy general. If he could have noticed something amiss in that battle, how could the old Duke of Dingguo have lost? The old Duke of Dingguo and your maternal grandfather were both people who knew how to use people well and would not belittle anyone, but they did say that Wei Junyan did not have the demeanor of a great general. Yet he returned alive to report the news and even turned the tide. Your maternal grandfather and General Wan naturally became suspicious and secretly sent people to investigate."
"Second Uncle, have you found anything? Could it be Wei Junyan's doing?"
"By the time your maternal grandfather and General Wan sent people to investigate, the traces had already been almost completely erased. How could Wei Junyan have done that alone... Your maternal grandfather and General Wan realized the conspiracy behind it and dared not take any further action, so they remained silent for the time being."
"Then why did my maternal grandfather later request to have his title revoked?"
To save her own life, while the concubines below her became pregnant one after another, the late Empress remained childless. Finally, she conceived, only to receive news of her entire family's death in battle. However, the late Empress was a remarkable woman and persevered. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Dingguo, who remained in the capital, fell seriously ill. With her entire family dead, leaving only a house full of women, how could she not be filled with grief and indignation? She only had a few months left before her death. On her deathbed, the late Empress wished to see her mother one last time, so despite being near childbirth, she returned to the Duke of Dingguo's residence. Surprisingly, the Emperor did not stop her. This departure, however, marked their eternal separation.
After the late Empress returned, the remnants of the former dynasty came knocking and slaughtered the entire Duke of Dingguo's family. The late Empress was not spared either, and thus, not a single member of the Qin family survived.
Not long after this incident, the Emperor, on the pretext that General Wan had conspired with remnants of the Dai Kingdom to rebel, executed General Wan and his entire family.
Because I had always wanted to pursue a career as a civil official, your maternal grandfather, seeing that things weren't going well, sent us to the capital and forbade us to return. He even wrote to the Emperor, saying that he was unfit for high office and wished to retire peacefully, so he requested to have his title stripped. The Emperor agreed, revoked the title of Marquis of Xibo, and bestowed upon my elder brother a third-rank military officer position. From then on, the Murong family declined.
Bai Chuxiao sighed inwardly and couldn't help but ask, "Did the old Duke of Dingguo's family and the late Empress have any influence from the current ruler...?"
The Qin family suffered the most in this affair. They fought alongside His Majesty in countless battles, finally conquering the land, only to be wiped out as a whole. Regardless of the truth behind the war in the north...
The fact that the women of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion in the capital, along with the late Empress, were slaughtered by the remnants of the Dai Kingdom is a joke.
Didn't the late Empress have guards? She was about to give birth; shouldn't His Majesty have assigned her heavy protection? And this was right under the Emperor's nose, heavily guarded. How could he have allowed the remnants of the Dai Kingdom to enter the city like that? Furthermore, General Wan also participated in the destruction of the Dai Kingdom; how could the remnants of the Dai Kingdom have conspired with him?
General Wan was a renowned general, and he would surely have fought to the death to protect the Duke of Dingguo's family in the capital. Yet, in the end, not a single one of them survived. There are many suspicious points...
Murong Cheng shook his head. "I don't know, and I can't know, otherwise General Wan's family will serve as a cautionary tale."
"Second Uncle, Grandfather only allows you to stay in the capital, and forbids Second Brother from entering the military camp. Isn't this considered a hostage? Staying in the capital is to put the Emperor's mind at ease."
Murong Cheng nodded. "That's true. Perhaps His Majesty sees us as relatively obedient, or perhaps it's because those who helped him conquer the world are all dead, making it difficult to silence public opinion. Although the Murong family is no longer at its peak, at least our lives are safe."
"Xuan'er, do you now know why your grandfather and I wouldn't let you join the army?"
Murong Xuan nodded. He had always been resentful that his elder brother's family could have such power while he couldn't, but now he understood that the fewer people in the Murong family had access to military power, the safer they would be. Unless, one day, the Emperor relented and truly felt at ease, he wouldn't have to live a secluded life in the capital anymore.
Murong Cheng sighed again, "Xiaoxiao, your father wasn't stupid to rise to the position of Left Prime Minister. Back then, he probably gradually realized His Majesty's intentions, or knew something, which is why he wanted to sever ties with our Murong family and not be implicated. So, regarding your mother's matter..."
Bai Chuxiao finally understood Bai Linan's motives, but she wouldn't completely forgive him. Back then, Bai Linan was just a poor scholar who only rose to his position because of the Murong family's power. In the end, he could only share the good times but not the bad. Besides, there were many ways to sever ties; did he really have to kill his own wife and even try to strangle his own child? In the end, he was nothing but a beast.
"Second Uncle, is Consort Jing in the palace acquainted with the Murong family?"
Murong Cheng frowned. "We've never had any contact before. What's wrong?"
Bai Chuxiao chuckled, "It's nothing, I just thought of asking."
He then asked in confusion, "If they don't trust the Murong family, why did they arrange a marriage between me and the Prince of Yan? I grew up in the Murong family."
"Why not bestow a marriage upon you? For so many years, the Murong family has been well-behaved, and the Prince of Yan is a prince His Majesty can trust. If the Murong family can be kept within the royal family, why wouldn't His Majesty be happy to do so?"
"That's roughly how things happened back then. Once you've heard it, just keep it to yourself. Don't ask about it or inquire about it after you leave," Murong Cheng solemnly instructed.
Bai Chuxiao and Murong Xuan both nodded emphatically upon hearing this. However, Bai Chuxiao remained wary and felt more resistant to the current emperor. The thought of having to call him "Father Emperor" after marrying the Prince of Yan made her sigh. But she could only keep her thoughts to herself. If "that person" discovered anything, the future of the Murong family would be uncertain.
Those who truly knew about the tragedy involving the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and General Wan's family back then were probably all silenced. Those who still know are mostly important figures, and even if some remember the incident, no one dares to mention it.
"How much does Xiaoxiao know about the current situation in the capital?"
Bai Chuxiao chuckled awkwardly and scratched her head; she seemed to know absolutely nothing about the capital.
Murong Cheng glared at her irritably before slowly telling her the story.
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