People couldn't understand Mu Yunhe anymore, but at this moment they only felt that Mu Yunhe was too terrifying. This kind of man was truly ruthless and cold-blooded. If anyone dared to anger him, they probably wouldn't be able to withstand his wrath.
Meanwhile, in the distant imperial palace, the atmosphere was already in turmoil. The emperor, his officials, and even those in the highest watchtower of the imperial city could see the raging fire and smoke billowing from the direction of the Mu Prince's Mansion without much effort or concentration. The fire was so intense that it seemed capable of destroying the entire Mu Dynasty, and the murderous aura was overwhelming!
On the emperor's aged face, the loose skin trembled involuntarily, and his sharp eyes held shock or horror. No one knew, but his slightly hunched back straightened unusually at this moment.
The officials who came to greet Mu Yunhe did not go home, but instead went to the palace to report to the emperor what had just happened. But now, having witnessed the raging fire and heard the spies explain the whole story clearly, everyone felt a sense of terror, as if they had just walked between life and death.
A man like Mu Yunhe actually acted with such ruthlessness and cruelty. Truly, he remains silent until he makes a stunning move!
Golden carp, though destined for the pond, can transform into a dragon upon encountering wind and clouds. The dragon's roar echoes through the heavens, shaking the very fabric of the world…
A shocking change!!
It turns out that Mu Yunhe is the golden-scaled dragon hidden in the mortal world, overlooked by everyone. Now, the great changes in the world are all under his control. If he makes a move, it will be a dragon's roar that will shake the world and cause great changes!
Such outrageous behavior is enough to warrant a sentence, but if it was Mu Yunhe who did it, then silence is the only option, and that's all that matters. It's just that Consort Li was blind to offend this dragon soaring through the nine heavens. When the dragon is enraged, its fury is boundless!
The people here are all influential figures in the Mu Dynasty. The pharaohs are all present, not one missing, a group of old men with gleaming white hair, each with a calm expression, yet each one is tense and sharp-eyed. The assembled officials dare not speak, for when they received the news that Mu Yunhe was about to set fire, they could have stopped him, but the emperor had stopped them instead.
The emperor uttered only a casual remark, yet it sent chills down the spines of these cunning old foxes in their high positions, leaving them terrified and filled with lingering fear.
"If any of you want to be the next one to have your entire family wiped out by him, then go ahead and stop him."
The words have been spoken; who dares to stop me now? 17357813
Even the Li family patriarch remained silent. The fire in the Prince's mansion had consumed his bloodline, yet he was willing to sacrifice Consort Li to protect his family. Having no other choice, he chose not to.
The imperial court was in an uproar, and the entire capital was alarmed by the fire that had turned half the sky red. People rushed to the scene, some even packing their belongings, ready to leave at any moment. The fire had lasted so long and was so fierce that it instilled fear in everyone.
"Ah Heng, are you tired?" When the surrounding area was shaken, Mu Yunhe stood there, yet he remained calm and composed. When he lowered his eyes, his face was flushed red by the flames, making him exceptionally alluring, and his gentle gaze was equally fiery.
Luo Zhiheng raised her eyebrows and smiled slightly: "I'm not tired. With such a passionate scene to support me, even if I had to stand here for a year, I wouldn't be tired."
Mu Yunhe relaxed, his eyes filled with an unyielding warmth and an unyielding tenderness: "Don't blame me for being ruthless?"
Luo Zhiheng chuckled softly and said matter-of-factly, "If you weren't ruthless, how could you be worthy of someone as reckless as me?"
Mu Yunhe chuckled, unconcerned by her self-deprecation and self-mockery. They both lived in this mundane world, filled with too much helplessness, like wild beasts eating small animals, and small animals eating poultry—the big eat the small. If they didn't resist, if they didn't use camouflage to protect themselves, they would be the ones being eaten. If they didn't want to be swallowed up by cruel reality, then they could only devour others.
Gazing at the sea of fire, Mu Yunhe's eyes remained calm and undisturbed. He was back. From this day forward, he would collect everything owed to him, every last penny, tenfold!
Suddenly, a series of figures flew out from the sea of fire, shocking everyone.
Mu Yunhe and Luo Zhiheng merely watched coldly. That person was Mu Yunjin's man. Upon waking, Mu Yunjin immediately dispatched his most skilled qinggong (lightness skill) disciple to rush in and find an opportunity to save his mother. This time, Mu Yunhe didn't stop him. If someone as heinous as Consort Li died so easily, wouldn't that be letting her off too easily? Only by living could he better and more thoroughly reclaim what was owed to him.
First update! There's one more update today, my darlings! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, hehe. I tried to write early today so as not to delay the update, and it felt pretty good. I hope I can keep it up, haha. Still, please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets!
336 Still want to fight back? You've made a fool of yourself in public! (Bonus chapter for 22,500 comments)
Updated: 2013-09-19 10:11:51 Word Count: 3725
"Mother!" Mu Yunjin cried out in alarm upon seeing the man who collapsed upon landing. He struggled to get up and go to his mother, but his injuries were too severe to make it.
As soon as Consort Li landed, she felt the cool air and looked around blankly, her mind still a blank, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the sea of fire. It wasn't until she heard Mu Yunjin calling for her mother that she snapped back to reality and anxiously looked around.
The first thing she saw was not Mu Yunjin being carried by the crowd, but Mu Yunhe standing proudly to one side.
Her son used to be the one who could walk proudly in and out of the Mu Prince's mansion, but now, it was the sickly Mu Yunhe standing here. This was something Consort Li couldn't accept at all. Moreover, the thought that this fire had destroyed everything she had painstakingly built up over the years, that all her wealth had been wiped out in the fire, and that all the connections and servants she had accumulated over the years had been completely wiped out.
Now, she truly had nothing left. And all of this was thanks to Mu Yunhe. Consort Li instantly lost control of her emotions, lunging at Mu Yunhe like a madwoman, screaming, "Mu Yunhe, I'll kill you! You beast, how could you burn down my home? Give me back my palace, give me back my money!"
Seeing that she had just escaped death, everyone immediately retaliated, behaving like a shrew, and speaking with no respect or shame whatsoever—it was utterly outrageous. This clearly demonstrates that Consort Li's usual domineering behavior in the Prince Mu's residence was indeed true. Thinking about it this way, Consort Li's current predicament was entirely her own fault; she deserved it! 17357813
The guards around Mu Yunhe would naturally not allow Consort Li to harm him, but Mu Yunhe ordered them to retreat and watched as Consort Li pounced on him. He neither dodged nor flinched, but simply held Luo Zhiheng tightly.
Mu Yunjin found this scene strange. Mu Yunhe would never kindly ask the guards to show mercy to his mother. In his opinion, Mu Yunhe had gone mad and had been completely assimilated by that savage shrew, Luo Zhiheng.
He sensed something was seriously wrong, so he immediately shouted, "Mother, don't go over there!"
But it was too late. Consort Li had already pounced on him, her hands clawing at Mu Yunhe's face, her movements fierce and unwavering, filled with hatred and anger.
Mu Yunhe also kicked without hesitation, and almost simultaneously, Luo Zhiheng also raised one foot. The couple kicked Consort Li in the left and right chests respectively. Both of them used their full strength, and Consort Li, who was weak all over, naturally could not resist. She was kicked so hard that she was sent flying backward and crashed to the ground, spitting blood.
The couple pulled their feet together, glanced at each other, and their eyes showed relief and the joy of unspoken understanding.
"Your home? Where is your home? You're calling it your royal residence? Is this royal residence yours? This is Mu Yunhe's royal residence, it belongs to Prince Mu, and it could belong to the Princess, but it's definitely not yours! What right do you have to cry and shout like this? You overestimate yourself! Who do you think you are? How dare you be so presumptuous and rude? You even dare to insult the young prince, Consort Li. Who gave you the audacity? You'd better tell the truth!" Luo Zhiheng rebuked her without hesitation.
"I'm so glad to have met Consort Li." As Mu Yunhe's wife, she was essentially the mistress of the Mu royal mansion, and naturally had the right to question Consort Li.
Luo Zhiheng's reprimand brought everyone back to their senses, and they all began to criticize Consort Li.
Consort Li was in excruciating pain and still somewhat disoriented, but when she saw Luo Zhiheng's arrogant face and how dare she yell at her like that, Consort Li was furious. It should be Luo Zhiheng and her group knelt down and begged for forgiveness, but instead, she was the one suffering. Not only did she fail to get back at them, but she also lost both her money and her reputation.
Consort Li, unwilling to accept this, grew even angrier, wailing and howling like a shrew in the street: "Luo Zhiheng, you imposter! You're nothing but a substitute for the wrong man the Prince's mansion has chosen. You've been enjoying the good life in the Prince's mansion in place of your sister Luo Ningshuang. You're so vain; once you see how nice the mansion is, you don't want to leave! You shameless scoundrel! You've gone to great lengths to harm your sister Luo Ningshuang, and you've been causing trouble and acting recklessly in the mansion. I can tolerate all of that, but how could you allow the young prince to set fire to your own home? You'll be punished by heaven!"
Consort Li wasn't truly foolish; the crisis had passed, and those two kicks had woken her up. Knowing that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to her, Consort Li immediately tried to confuse the issue, hoping to make those who were criticizing her suspect Luo Zhiheng instead.
Unfortunately, Consort Li was destined to be disappointed. Luo Zhiheng was not discouraged by her few words. Instead, she said sarcastically with ease, "Consort Li is quite good at turning the tables. It seems that her skills have improved quite a bit in the past few months."
"Luo Zhiheng, what do you mean? Didn't you instruct Mu Yunhe to do this? You're saying Mu Yunhe was driven to a dead end, how can you be so vicious? You're simply insane, how dare you accuse me?" Consort Li's eyes flashed, filled with ruthlessness and malice, as she desperately retorted and cried out.
Luo Zhiheng burst into laughter, saying disdainfully, "I feel nauseous just talking to someone like you. It's because of people like you that the world is so unsettled. I'll just ask you one question: what is Mu Yunhe's status? Is his name something a mere concubine of a prince can call out to? Your son keeps saying we have no respect for hierarchy, but I ask you, where is your respect for hierarchy? Is it true that like mother, like son? Is your son's unreasonable and nonsensical behavior inherited from you? It's truly a mother-son trait! I've seen it all today!"
Consort Li was stunned, then roared even more frantically and excitedly, "Yun Jin? What have you done to Yun Jin? Luo Zhiheng, you despicable woman, if you dare to hurt Yun Jin, I will make sure you suffer a terrible death."
Consort Li, overwhelmed by her love for her son and deeply traumatized, has acted without restraint, blurting out anything she shouldn't. The more she says, the happier Luo Zhiheng becomes, because it allows others to see Consort Li's ugliness more clearly.
"Mother, I'm here. Don't panic, I'm alright," Mu Yunjin quickly called out, afraid his mother would say something even worse. At the same time, a chill ran through him. When had his mother ever acted like this? So frantic and terrifying? His mother had always been gentle and kind in his heart. Mu Yunjin was confused, but he preferred to believe that his mother was just overly frightened; that she was still the same kind mother he knew.
Upon suddenly hearing her son's voice, Consort Li remembered that she needed to find him again. She saw him on the stretcher, her pupils constricted, and her face turned pale. She tried to rush over, but she was unable to move easily. She screamed in terror, "Yun Jin! What happened to you? How could you be like this? My son, how could you suddenly become like this?"
"Mother, don't panic, I'm really alright, it's just a superficial injury. How are you?" Mu Yunjin had her carried to Consort Li's side, and the mother and son immediately grabbed each other's hands, both of them anxious.
"Yun Jin, what are you doing here? Did they bully you? What happened to your face? How did you get injured?" When Consort Li saw her son, she showed genuine concern and heartache.
Mu Yunjin felt a warmth in his heart and was relieved. His mother was indeed just overly frightened; she was still his kind and gentle mother. Mu Yunjin smiled and said with relief, "I'm really fine. This little injury will heal in a few days."
Luo Zhiheng couldn't stand their ridiculous display of motherly affection and said coldly, "So there's still family affection in the Mu Prince's Mansion. I thought the Mu Prince's Mansion was really deserted and devoid of human warmth."
Luo Zhiheng's words immediately enraged Consort Li, reminding her of everything that had just happened. Her eyes were red as she glared at Luo Zhiheng, her gaze as venomous as a snake's, as if she wanted to devour Luo Zhiheng alive. Even her son, standing nearby, could feel the resentment in his mother's eyes.
"Luo Zhiheng, what are you so arrogant about? Now that the Mu Prince's Mansion is gone, it means you have nothing too. You instigated Mu Yunhe to commit such a terrible disaster, which is already unforgivable. How can you still have the nerve to live?" Consort Li finished her righteous and angry rebuke of Luo Zhiheng, and when she saw the Princess Consort beside her, her anger flared up even more.
Why is it that her carefully made-up face has become so filthy, while the princess can still stand there adorned with jewels? She roared angrily, "Why don't you take care of your son? Isn't this your home? How can you be so heartless? Mu Yunhe went mad and you all went mad too? You killed hundreds of people in one fell swoop, more than three hundred people. Did you treat them like radishes and cabbages? How can you be so cruel?"
Everyone gasped upon hearing this, their faces turning ashen. One of them couldn't hold back any longer and shouted angrily, pointing at Consort Li and cursing, "You vile woman! You're a menace!"
Consort Li was stunned. How could Mu Yunhe have killed so many people, and yet these people were still blaming her? She felt wronged.
Luo Zhiheng's face turned deathly pale with shock, then she shouted angrily, "More than three hundred people? You're saying there are more than three hundred people in this manor? Then why is it that no one has come out to open the door when we've been knocking and shouting? Where have they all gone? This manor is huge, with more than three hundred people; there must be people in almost every courtyard. Why is no one responding to us? We thought the manor was deserted, and since we couldn't get in anyway, we might as well burn it down and build a new one. Are you trying to trick us by saying this?"
Luo Zhiheng's words were cryptic yet directly targeted Consort Li. "If someone was there, why didn't they open the door or respond? If you didn't speak up, who can you blame if you burned to death? If no one was there, then Consort Li is lying." Consort Li was caught between two conflicting answers; neither could undo her mistake, and both instantly placed her in danger.
This also demonstrates Mu Yunhe's superior strategy. If everyone inside had burned to death, and no one had witnessed the deaths, people would likely assume the place was empty. But once people were found, deception became impossible. They would only remember this tragedy more vividly. Consort Li's explicit mention of a specific number was tantamount to shooting herself in the foot, only making her crimes more heinous. Because every person who died here today was a scapegoat for Consort Li.
Even if Consort Li survives from this day forward, she will have to atone for the deaths of these three hundred-plus people!
Just as the crowd's spittle was almost enough to drown Consort Li, a carriage slowly approached from afar. The crowded people gradually dispersed, and a sharp voice rang out in front of the sea of fire: "Imperial decree has arrived!"
Second update! Hooray! Huasha is in the author interview at the bottom of the homepage. My boss and Huasha said to tell you all and promote it, haha. If you have time, check it out! Love you all, group kisses! Happy Mid-Autumn Festival again! Wishing everyone a happy and fulfilling family reunion! Still asking for recommendation votes, comments, and monthly tickets. That's all for today's update. Keep up the good work tomorrow!
337. You perverted Mu Yunsheng! I'll break your hands!
Updated: 2013-09-20 15:51:39 Word Count: 7776
Everyone was shocked. At this critical moment, an imperial edict had arrived. Could it be that the Emperor was going to punish Mu Yunhe? After all, burning down the Mu Prince's Mansion was a serious crime. Even if Mu Yunhe was the future heir to the mansion, it was still unacceptable for him to so arrogantly and recklessly burn down the mansion.
In an instant, almost everyone witnessed the result of Mu Yunhe being punished by the Emperor.
Consort Li and Mu Yunjin naturally shared the same thought. The Emperor would absolutely not protect Mu Yunhe; Mu Yunhe's behavior today was truly outrageous. Although the Emperor was old, he was not senile. The two women felt as if they had finally seen a glimmer of hope—someone who could restrain and control Mu Yunhe had finally appeared.
Consort Li even threw herself in front of the carriage, wailing loudly, "Your Majesty, you must avenge me! This Mu Yunhe is utterly lawless! In his eyes, there is no one else but that vixen Luo Zhiheng! He dared to burn down the Prince's mansion and kill over three hundred innocent people in one fell swoop! Even if Mu Yunhe had any grievances or anger, he could have expressed them, instead of destroying the Prince's foundation like this!"
Before anyone could speak, Consort Li broke the silence, adopting a posture of distorting the truth and falsely accusing others. She didn't explain the reasons, only the consequences, and even pinned the worst possible outcome on Mu Yunhe. Such scheming was both hateful and utterly laughable.
Luo Zhiheng naturally wouldn't let Consort Li continue spouting nonsense, but she didn't immediately stop her. She also had her own plans.
First, the emperor wasn't a fool. The fact that he issued an imperial edict at this moment proves that even if he was angry, he wouldn't overly blame Mu Yunhe, and therefore the punishment wouldn't be too severe. The fact that the emperor could have stopped Mu Yunhe's reckless act much earlier, but didn't, also shows that the emperor understood the whole story.
Secondly, there's the matter of Mu Yunhe's identity. The fact that all the civil and military officials have condescended to personally welcome Mu Yunhe clearly indicates the Emperor's will. The Emperor must know Mu Yunhe's identity as a diviner. With this identity in mind, the Emperor will only do everything in his power to win over and appease Mu Yunhe, going to great lengths to please him, and would absolutely not do anything to anger him.
These two points helped Luo Zhiheng regain her composure. She wanted to see what other tricks Consort Li could come up with.
The person who delivered the imperial edict was not an ordinary eunuch, but the third prince of the current dynasty, Mu Yunsheng. This third prince was a notorious figure, known for his love of eating, drinking, and having fun, his weakness and incompetence, and what's even more hateful is that he was also very lecherous. He couldn't resist the sight of a pretty girl, just like Luo Zhiheng, who used to be unable to resist the sight of a handsome man.
These two were once known by people in the capital as the Black and White Duo, the Two Demons of Lust!
It is said that Luo Zhiheng once drank with the Third Prince Mu Yunsheng, calling each other brothers and discussing the ways of lust. It was truly a scene of harmonious friendship, like-minded friends, and rotten fish and shrimp.
However, people later wondered why the Third Prince, who wasn't bad-looking and Luo Zhiheng, who wasn't bad-looking either, and who shared such similar ideals, didn't end up joining forces, getting married, and living happily ever after. If they had gotten together, it would have been a great service to the people, a truly delightful thing. But in the end, the matter was left unresolved.
So when the Third Prince, with his flamboyant and unrestrained manner, swayed down from the carriage, everyone was quite surprised to see him. When did the Emperor begin to value this Third Prince? Why would he have him personally summoned? You see, with the Crown Prince away on campaign, the Third Prince was practically the eldest among the princes. The Second Prince had died young, and the other princes were either too young or already deceased, or the rest were princesses; there were only three adult princes in total. And the Third Prince was the least reliable of them all. Yet, besides the Crown Prince, who was born to the Empress, the Third Prince held the highest status. His biological mother was the Imperial Noble Consort, who had died many years ago. And this Imperial Noble Consort was posthumously honored as Empress by the Emperor.
Because the Imperial Noble Consort died for the Emperor. Although she died, her death brought immeasurable benefits to her son. This meant that the Third Prince, being born to the Empress, could also become the Crown Prince!
This undoubtedly stirred up a storm in the court, making it difficult for people to choose sides. While the situation seemed very favorable to him, the Third Prince's predicament became unpredictable due to his inconsistency.
Regardless of whether they were officials or commoners, even those who disliked the Third Prince Mu Yunsheng still had to bow and pay their respects to him. As a result, a large crowd knelt down.
Mu Yunsheng swaggered over to Mu Yunhe and the others, not in a hurry to tell them to get up. Instead, he stared at Mu Yunhe for a while before, under Mu Yunhe's cold gaze, he patted Luo Zhiheng's shoulder and pulled her into his arms.
The entire room fell silent instantly, eerily silent.
Luo Zhiheng was completely stunned, bewildered by the wickedness in this man's eyes and the self-righteousness of his embrace. She blinked, wanting to resist, but suddenly heard a warm breath and a deep chuckle in her ear: "It's been so long, Heng'er has become even more beautiful. It's making this prince's heart itch. What should I do? I really regret letting Heng'er go back then. Heng'er, why don't we, this prince, choose again? I will accept your proposal. Come to my side, okay?"