It was the first time Murong Xingchen had a meal alone with her father. The two drank a couple of glasses, each lost in their own thoughts, making the meal feel oppressive.
After another drink, Murong Xingchen decided to talk about other things before getting down to business, so she asked, "Brother, are you feeling better? Are you still not going to speak?"
Murong Bai downed a cup of wine in one gulp, shook his head, and said helplessly, "His beloved woman was sliced to pieces right before his eyes by that bitch. He suffered a great mental shock and now hates all of us! The Grand Secretary came to see for himself, but he wouldn't say a word. Sigh!"
"Father, don't worry, this will all pass. I believe my brother isn't that fragile; he'll definitely get better," Chen'er comforted him.
“I only have three children. Your eldest brother can’t be relied on for the time being, and your sister’s health is not good. You are the only child in the family who doesn’t need to be worried. Your father doesn’t want anything, he just hopes that you can be well and that nothing will happen to you.” Murong Feng was like a warm father at this moment, a side of him that he had never shown before.
"Father, I'll be careful. Don't worry!" After comforting her father, Murong Xingchen drank another cup with him before asking, "Third Mother, she..."
Even though such a big thing happened in the family, and they managed to keep it a secret from outsiders and sell off a batch of maids and servants, some rumors still reached his ears. He wasn't trying to distinguish right from wrong; he just wanted to find out what was going on in the family, so he asked.
Murong Feng chuckled, "She deserved to die! She had such a comfortable life and wealth, yet she still dared to dream of it! She deserved to die!"
Looking at her father, who was already somewhat drunk, Murong Xingchen couldn't tell whether she felt heartache or relief.
Murong Feng continued, "I buried her! She dared to lay a hand on my son, she was really asking for trouble! Let me tell you, no woman is any good! Don't believe their lies! They always say they love the man who loves you! In reality, they want everything and want to fight for everything."
"Dad, you're drunk!"
To say that Pei Feiyan married into the Murong family is less accurate than saying she was sold to them. Hua Yuhe personally handed the indenture to Murong Feng, who held onto it tightly for three years, neither destroying it nor returning it to her.
"I'm not drunk! Listen to your father's heart, I'm suffering! In court, your uncle is far more outstanding, our Murong family follows his lead! Whatever he says, the entire Murong family has to listen to him. He has the Emperor's trust! He's a member of the Murong family who brings glory to our clan. And what am I? I'm a lackey, a coward! I can't even protect my own son. They can depose me or imprison me at will! Do they even respect me?" Murong Feng slurred his words, then collapsed onto the table, drunk.
This was the first time Murong Xingchen had seen his father like this, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache! His mother had told him to be outstanding and surpass his father, and now that he was favored by the Emperor, seeing his father like this made his heart ache terribly.
After settling her father to bed, Murong Xingchen prepared to return to Lin'an to continue the case, but Sima Rushuang walked in.
"Mother, why are you here? How is my sister?" Murong Xingchen asked. He had been too busy these past few days, his mind was constantly racing, and he hadn't had time to think about anything else.
"Chen'er, I heard you were summoned home. Everyone in the clan is here, and I was worried, so I came over right away." Sima Rushuang glanced at the unconscious and snoring Murong Feng before pulling Chen'er into another room and asking, "Do you know the true meaning behind His Majesty's decision to involve you in the counterfeit silver case?"
Murong Xingchen was stunned. His mother knew about this too!
"Your mother is in the Murong family, and your grandfather is a general. How can I just do needlework and not think about my children?" Sima Rushuang explained softly.
“Mother! I’m sorry to have troubled you. His Majesty has indeed assigned me to handle a major case! The matter is quite complicated and involves many people. Although we can’t determine the truth of the matter in a short time, we are certain that there are still many remnants of the previous dynasty. Furthermore, the Japanese are also eyeing our country’s land, so I dare not be careless.” Murong Xingchen spoke eloquently to his mother.
“My son has grown up! I can rest assured now! I will take care of your sister, so you can focus on serving the Emperor. If there are any major issues that you cannot resolve, you can consult your grandfather. I am his only daughter, and you are his only grandson; he will definitely help you,” Sima Rushuang suddenly said.
"Mother, what's wrong?" Murong Xingchen was really confused; everyone in the family was acting strangely today.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to tell you that being a half-king is like walking on thin ice. Don't disregard your own safety!"
"I will remember Mother's teachings! Mother, rest assured, I will never let myself be ruined by this." Murong Xingchen comforted his mother before asking, "Is there some secret being kept from me at home? Today, the clansmen were pressing Father so hard!"
Sima Rushuang sighed and said, "Now that you've grown up and are valued by the Emperor, I think there are some things you'd better know sooner rather than later!"
"Please sit down and speak." Murong Xingchen helped her mother sit down before listening attentively to what her mother had to say.
"It turns out that when the Murong family helped the Emperor consolidate his power many years ago, the Emperor personally promised that he would never let the Murong family down! Later, the Murong family did indeed receive attention, but as time went on, the Emperor was always uneasy, especially after he had a dream in which a golden dragon turned into a white dragon, which made him anxious."
"Later I learned that His Majesty had consulted a fortune teller. No one knew who this fortune teller was, but he subtly pointed out that the Murong family's immense power would inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later. So, in recent years, His Majesty has racked his brains to weaken the Murong family's influence, and only then have the two sides remained at peace."
Murong Xingchen was mostly sober now!
“But even a small move by His Majesty is seen by the officials as a turbulent indicator, and in a short time, impeachments against the Murong family have poured in like a torrential downpour. As a result, your uncles have been gradually dismissed from their posts and are now retired at home. Currently, only your father and eldest uncle still hold their official positions in the court,” Sima Rushuang said.
"If that's the case, then why haven't Father and Uncle resigned from their posts and retired?" Murong Xingchen felt that ordinary people should do what ordinary people should do!
"The capital city is so prosperous it's dazzling! Who would want to just coast along as a lowly ninth-rank official? So your uncle has a new goal! The entire clan is working tirelessly for it."
Murong Xingchen felt a chill run down his spine after hearing this. "Mother, do you mean... Father, my eldest uncle, and my other uncles, they..." He couldn't bring himself to say the word "treason," and he couldn't believe it in his heart.
“By chance, your uncle learned of a long-lost martial arts manual in the martial arts world. Practicing it would not only make one invincible against swords and spears, but also prolong life. To open the treasure box, three keys are needed, and the Murong family has finally found them all over the years,” Sima Rushuang told the truth.
"Where is the key?" Murong Xingchen couldn't help but worry, not knowing if the Emperor had noticed, and she was really sweating bullets.
“It was given to your uncle yesterday! They’ve also found out some clues about the treasure box. So, at this critical juncture, they can’t allow anything to be delayed. So, Chen’er, what do you think you should do?” Mother cried with heartache.
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