Murong Qianchen took out the third jade doll and handed it to Mu Yunhe, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, this third jade doll is named Mu Yunhe. This appearance should be what you looked like when you were five years old. Because of Qingya, I've only seen Mu Yunhe when he was five years old."
Mu Yunhe's trembling hand wanted to take the jade doll, but he hesitated. In the end, he only gently stroked it a few times. Its surface was extremely warm and smooth, instantly touching the softest part of his heart. A thousand thoughts flashed in his eyes. Finally, he put his hand down and said, "Let these three jade dolls accompany her."
Murong Qianchen put the doll back into the box and gently stroked it, saying, "That's what I think too. She was very lonely. With these three statues of her beloved children by her side, just like these three dolls have always been under her pillow, she won't be alone on her journey to the underworld."
After Murong Qianchen placed the jade doll beside Mu Qingya's head, she said to Mu Yunhe, "You are her only brother, so you should personally cover her with this first shovel of earth. It is said that burial brings peace, but she passed away in pain without regret. Only when you bring her peace can she truly find peace."
Mu Yunhe stood still. Luo Zhiheng was somewhat worried, after all, Mu Qingya had done such cruel things, and Mu Yunhe hadn't recovered at all. It would be difficult for him to personally bury Mu Qingya. But before she could speak, Mu Yunhe had already walked to the coffin.
Mu Yunhe personally closed the coffin lid for them. The heavy lid required two adults to lift completely, and his arms trembled, but he did not let go. The guards nailed the coffin into the ground, and Mu Yunhe, with red eyes, added the first shovelful of soil. Then the guards filled the grave and erected a tombstone, which bore only the four characters "Tomb of Husband and Wife." Rong Zhiruo carried it.
From this day forward, this place will become a taboo for the Mu Prince's Palace and a forbidden area for the Southern Dynasty's royal family!
“Yu’er, kneel down. From today onwards, you must remember that you no longer only have me as your mother; Mu Qingya is also your mother,” Murong Qianchen said.
Yu'er was neither resentful nor unhappy. She was a reasonable child. Her mother had already explained Mu Qingya to her, and she would listen to her mother.
Yu'er performed the traditional daughterly rites, kneeling before Mu Qingya's grave and kowtowing, calling her "Mother!" 178.
A cold wind blew, the drizzle finally dissipated, the dark clouds parted, and the afternoon sun, washed clean by the rain, appeared desolate and lonely. People stood before the nameless tombstone, silent, bidding farewell!
After everyone left, someone brought over Hu's mother's coffin. This was Luo Zhiheng's idea, so Hu's mother was hidden next to Mu Qingya, which could be considered as doing everything she could.
Luo Zhiheng and Mu Yunhe returned to the Shiwang Palace. As they passed through the hall, the people who had returned from the funeral did not go back to their rooms but sat in the hall waiting for them.
Old Master Tong looked haggard, but still dignified. He looked at Mu Yunhe and said, "The matter here has been resolved. The young prince must receive treatment as soon as possible. Although I don't know exactly how the Prince will treat you, we can't delay any longer. Your health cannot afford to be delayed."
Although the Tong family's actions had brought shame upon them, and Mu Qingya had utterly disgraced the Mu Dynasty, thankfully the matter was now over. Moreover, nothing was more important than Mu Yunhe; the Mu Dynasty could not allow anything to happen to this hard-won and coveted diviner. 16613652
Mu Yunhe remained silent, showing no joy at the prospect of being saved. He said self-deprecatingly, "What's the point of saving this body? It's like being cursed, causing others to die and inspiring hatred. Now, my loved ones have betrayed me, and I don't even have a chance to speak. She's gone just like that. I don't even know if my life still has any meaning. This kind of life is full of darkness and utterly devoid of joy."
His world was once again shrouded in shadow because of Mu Qingya's conspiracy, causing him pain and despair. His life, which had finally gained some color, suddenly turned dark again. Luo Zhiheng was his light, but this light had personally plunged him into darkness. He didn't blame Luo Zhiheng for telling the truth, but it was still incredibly painful to hear such ugly facts spoken by the person he cared about most.
Having witnessed Mu Qingya's death, their relationship had changed drastically in just a few days, from recognition to falling out. Mu Yunhe's world was too pure; though dark, it was free of worldly dust and vulgarity. Therefore, he couldn't easily accept it all. He rejected not only Luo Zhiheng, but also himself. He began to loathe himself, believing himself to be guilty, even despicable.
Did he kill his sister's child? Was his survival the reason the child died so tragically? If Mother had saved Rui'er instead of him that day, his sister wouldn't hate him so much, none of this terrible conspiracy would have happened, Rui'er wouldn't be dead, his sister wouldn't have gone mad, and his mother and sister wouldn't have become enemies. And he wouldn't have to live such a painful and wretched life. He wouldn't feel such intense guilt now.
He felt that the damned man was himself; if he had died back then, none of this would have happened. But why didn't he die?
Mu Yunhe has fallen ill again, this time with a heart ailment. And it is extremely difficult to cure.
Ignoring the stunned expressions of the crowd, he staggered back to his room, supporting himself on Xiao Xizi's arm.
Luo Zhiheng's eyes dimmed. She had put in so much effort and hard work, but just when success seemed within reach, Mu Yunhe was once again plunged into despair. Luo Zhiheng was filled with anger and had nowhere to vent it when, coincidentally, people from the Zhuge family arrived.
When Zhuge Huahun appeared before Luo Zhiheng with Zhuge Hualuan and her fierce mother, Luo Zhiheng's gaze was cold and sharp.
She would never forget how Zhuge Hualuan slandered her, framed her, and kicked her when she was down in front of the world.
The other three sages were in the hall. Seeing this, the Painting Sage Zhuge Huahun seemed to have gained some confidence. He even managed to laugh and said heartily, "I've come today with my two unworthy descendants to apologize to the young princess. These two have been spoiled by their husbands and fathers, and I have also been too indulgent with Hua Luan, which has led to her unruly behavior today. Please forgive them, young princess."
Given Zhuge's status and position as a master painter, it was an immense honor for him to condescend to speak so frankly to Luo Zhiheng. Luo Zhiheng should be extremely grateful and overwhelmed with gratitude.
Unfortunately, Luo Zhiheng was born fearless, and besides, she was in the right. Moreover, the damage had already been done, so how could you just let it go with a single sentence?
Luo Zhiheng picked up her teacup, drank water without saying a word, clearly not taking Zhuge Huahun seriously.
Zhuge Huahun's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Zhuge Huahun's mother immediately retorted angrily, "Are you deaf? My ancestor is speaking to you, can't you reply? You have no manners!"
With a bang, Luo Zhiheng slammed the teacup down on the table. She coldly raised her eyes and sneered, "That's your ancestor, not mine. You may respect him, but I have no reason to! If there are elders who are reasonable, upright, and just, I will certainly treat them with the utmost respect. But if I encounter someone who is muddle-headed, disrespectful to their elders, or takes advantage of their age, I have no reason to give them face! Because such people are completely shameless. Give them a little leeway, and they'll dare to take advantage of me! Do they really think I, Luo Zhiheng, am easy to bully? Are they afraid of everyone?!"
Zhuge Hualuan's mother was so frightened by the sudden burst of power emanating from Luo Zhiheng that she couldn't help but take a few steps back. After realizing that she had lost face, she immediately pointed her knife at Luo Zhiheng and roared, "I'll chop you up!"
Without hesitation, Luo Zhiheng threw the teacup, still covered in hot tea, at Zhuge Hualuan's mother's head. She slammed her hand on the table and roared, "Head of the Zhuge family, are you still the head of the Zhuge family? You brought out this kind of trash? Aren't you afraid of making a fool of yourself? You call this an apology? Is this your Zhuge family's style of apologizing? I, Luo Zhiheng, may lack many things, but I certainly don't lack ancestors! If your Zhuge family has too many ancestors and nowhere to put them, that's fine, bring them all here. I'll kill them all for you, one by one, so your Zhuge family can be wiped out cleanly, lest some fool exterminate your entire family in the future!"
This thunderous outburst made even the arrogant Zhuge Hualuan somewhat uneasy. She knew Luo Zhiheng was a ruthless character, but to dare to speak to her like that, as if she were an ancestor on a pedestal, Zhuge Hualuan found Luo Zhiheng terrifying.
Zhuge Huahun's eyelids twitched violently. Having lived for nearly a hundred years, no one had ever dared to speak to him like that, yet he had to endure it today. Ignoring Luo Zhiheng, Mu Yunhe alone was enough to destroy the Zhuge family. Before Mu Yunhe even considered the Zhuge family, he had to manipulate Luo Zhiheng's emotions. He couldn't risk the entire Zhuge family for the sake of Zhuge Huahun.
"How dare you! You two, get out of here right now! Don't you feel ashamed after doing this again and again? Especially you, how can you protect a child like this? You good-for-nothing!" Zhuge Huahun scolded, then pointed at Zhuge Hualuan and loudly ordered, "Go, kneel down and kowtow to the little princess, and say that you were wrong and beg for the little princess's forgiveness!"
"Ancestor?!" Zhuge Hualuan screamed in disbelief, her pale face so thin and gaunt that she looked terrifying.
"Just kneel when I tell you to! Stop with the nonsense!" Zhuge Huahun was about to lose her temper with her favorite granddaughter. How come she never knew Zhuge Hualuan was such a troublemaker before?
"I won't! I haven't done anything wrong, why should I kneel before this slut and abandoned woman? Aren't you just afraid of Mu Yunhe? You don't need to be afraid. Mu Yunhe's sister has already said that I should marry Mu Yunhe, so that Mu Yunhe can divorce Luo Zhiheng. From now on, Mu Yunhe will be your grandson-in-law, and you don't need to worry anymore." Zhuge Hualuan shouted shamelessly. Ever since she painted the picture in the main hall to slander Luo Zhiheng, she had been locked up at home by Zhuge Huahun and was unaware of the recent events, let alone that Mu Qingya was dead.
In an instant, the people in the hall had strange expressions! Zhuge Huahun's old face turned bright red.
Second update! There will be an extra chapter today! Hua Sha will keep working hard for the third one, sob sob, my fingers are a little sore, I'll write slowly and try to upload it as soon as possible. Love you all, please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets!
Chapter 263 Betrayed by All! (Bonus Chapter for 37,000 Recommendation Votes)
Updated: 2013-08-17 19:03:59 Word Count: 3565
Upon hearing Zhuge Hualuan's words, Luo Zhiheng instantly flew into a rage! She laughed coldly, her anger barely contained: "You mean you want to marry Mu Yunhe?"
"It's not that I want to, it's that I will marry Mu Yunhe! I will take your place, and you are already a discarded woman." Zhuge Hualuan said arrogantly, looking at Luo Zhiheng with eyes full of mockery and provocation, with the posture of a victor.
Luo Zhiheng lightly brushed her fingers across her brow and asked Zhuge Huahun with a smile, "What do you have to say? You've brought your whole family here to provoke me, haven't you? Fine, I accept your provocation, but you'll have to pay the price!"
She stood up abruptly, her words and demeanor ruthless. Her cane flashed from her waist with a sharp, cold light, and she pointed it at Zhuge Hualuan's neck, saying, "That day you took advantage of my vulnerability, deliberately striking my wounds. Today, I'll let you taste the feeling of salt being rubbed into your wounds!"
Luo Zhiheng's momentum was unstoppable, and seeing the anger spreading and a battle about to break out, Zhuge Huahun hurriedly shouted, "Enough! What are you doing? Zhuge Huahun, do you even have any respect for me as your ancestor? Are you trying to force me to make a choice? What's the difference between what you're doing now and courting death? Apologize when I tell you to, don't force me to disown you as my descendant!"
"Grandmother! How could you become like this? Luo Zhiheng is no longer the little princess. She has no relation to Mu Yunhe anymore. Why are you still boosting the enemy's morale and diminishing your own? My mother is here, and she will absolutely not let Luo Zhiheng be so arrogant. If she dares to lay a knife on me, my mother can kill her too! Who's afraid of who? Let's fight! We'll let Luo Zhiheng know what it means to be a frog in a well, overestimating herself!" Zhuge Hualuan said angrily, unconvinced.
"Hahaha! I've truly witnessed and learned a thing or two about the Zhuge family's ways today! A mere little girl dares to be so disrespectful and spout such arrogant words. How could I not know that the Princess Consort of the Mu Dynasty has been replaced? Even if she has, Mu Yunhe's wife would never be a heartless, ghostly, crippled, and mentally challenged good-for-nothing! Moreover, Mu Yunhe's wife in the Mu Dynasty has always been Luo Zhiheng. How dare you slander and seriously injure her again? Do you really think everyone in the Mu Dynasty is dead?!" Old Master Tong suddenly sneered, his voice sharp and stern.
"Third Brother!" Zhuge Huahun was startled, unable to believe that his longtime friend had actually spoken up. He had thought that the other three sages should at least help him persuade Luo Zhiheng. How come things seemed to have turned out the other way around?
Old Master Tong abruptly waved his hand, his voice dark and menacing, "Don't call me Third Brother, I can't accept that! I only knew you were a bit muddle-headed when you were young, but I never imagined you'd become even more muddle-headed with age! How dare you keep someone like that in the family? How can you still pamper her like a precious jewel? Are you blind or just too old to distinguish right from wrong? If you still respected me as your Third Brother, you wouldn't have tolerated Zhuge Hualuan to this extent! Coming to my door to cause trouble, and even while I'm still here, yelling at my granddaughter-in-law, do you really think I'm so good-natured that I'd let someone chop off my feet?"
Zhihua paused for a moment. "Third Brother, why do you say that? I've always respected you. Children don't know any better, and they don't understand each other. Why are you joining in the commotion?" Zhuge Huahun said with dissatisfaction.
"Hmph! A child? Knowing how to maliciously frame and seriously injure others, you call that a child? She's just a child who doesn't know any better, but are all of you adults dead? Don't you know how to educate yourselves? A prestigious family of painters has produced a disgrace! Does Zhuge Huahun have the face to face your ancestors?" Old Master Tong said with sarcasm.
"Why say that, Third Brother? If Zhuge Hualuan is wrong, let her admit it. Haven't I already made her kneel down and admit her mistake?" Zhuge Huahun couldn't hold back his pride and came to apologize in person, which was already a concession and compromise on his part. In addition, Luo Zhiheng's dramatic turnaround meant that she was still Mu Yunhe's wife, so he didn't need to force her and her daughter to come to apologize because he was afraid of Mu Yunhe.
"We don't accept your attitude of admitting your mistake. You're protecting your child, and I'm protecting mine. This matter can't be resolved peacefully. Your apology won't solve anything; you've already caused us harm. Your Zhuge family may be shameless, but our Mu Dynasty still has a reputation. Luo Zhiheng's reputation has been completely ruined by Zhuge Hualuan. Even if Luo Zhiheng is innocent, what's done is done, and there will inevitably be many rumors. If we don't take it to heart, then the Mu Dynasty is cowardly!" Old Master Tong's attitude was resolute, showing no respect whatsoever to his longtime friend.
Zhuge Hualuan's attitude and arrogance have already provoked public outrage. She is clearly at fault and has made a mistake, yet she shows no remorse and remains arrogant and domineering. Meanwhile, Zhuge Huahun's constant protection and weak reprimands have lost all credibility. Since reason cannot resolve the issue, then let's resolve it with force!
"Is Third Brother trying to sever ties with the Zhuge family?" Zhuge Huahun asked through gritted teeth.
"I can't do anything about what you say, but you're not even going to punish your unworthy descendant for my sake. If I, as the ancestor, can't even protect my own descendants, where do you expect me to put my face? If you still care about the brotherhood between us, then you'd better give me a satisfactory explanation. Otherwise, I'm afraid our brotherhood will be torn apart because of our past!" Old Master Tong said angrily, flicking his sleeve.
"Fourth brother, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but your Zhuge family has been unfair in this matter. How could you push someone to the brink? You should always leave room for maneuver so you can meet again in the future, but your Zhuge family is too blatantly arrogant. You weren't like this before, so why are you being controlled by these younger generations now that you're older?" The Chess Saint sighed, his attitude clearly not siding with Zhuge Huahun.
Zhuge Huahun was startled, then suddenly remembered that these two good brothers were from the Mu Dynasty and were even the emperor's tutors. Naturally, they would help Luo Zhiheng. Zhuge Huahun subconsciously looked at the Qin Sheng, who had been silent all along. This man was not only his elder brother but also his brother-in-law. Surely he would stand by his side.
"Brother-in-law, do you also think I did something wrong? I've already apologized." Zhuge Huahun spoke with three parts firmness, five parts arrogance, and two parts flattery.
The Qin Saint raised his droopy eyelids, looked around at everyone in the room, and finally his gaze fell on Luo Zhiheng. He said inexplicably, "I have no intention of changing my mind about taking her as my disciple."
The expressions on the faces of Elder Tong and the chess master, General Murong, instantly showed relief; clearly, they both understood the meaning of the zither master. 17.
But Zhuge Huahun didn't understand. He was taken aback and asked, "What does brother-in-law mean?"
The Qin Saint raised his head and said coldly, "I want to take her as my disciple, so how can I allow my disciple's reputation to be slandered? I am fiercely protective of my own, have you forgotten?"
"Uh! Who is brother-in-law going to take as his apprentice?" Zhuge Huahun was momentarily stunned, then suddenly asked in shock, "Could it be Mu Yunhe?! The brilliant person brother-in-law has been talking about, is that Mu Yunhe?"
Why would he think of Mu Yunhe? Everyone's expression turned strange for a moment.
On the day of the Grand Tournament, they said that this person was already married and the two had a very good relationship. He was also proficient in both literature and martial arts, and was a rare talent. Most importantly, they said that this person was very handsome. The Qin Saint wanted to take him under his wing and had to flatter him in every way, so his status must be extraordinary.
Now that they've been reminded of this, Zhuge Huahun naturally concludes that the brilliant and talented person they're talking about is Mu Yunhe, and only Mu Yunhe fits all these criteria!
Zhuge Hualuan had obviously thought of this as well. Her pale face was contorted with excitement. The ancestors had told her to marry this person, but at that time they didn't know who he was. Now she suddenly realized that it was Mu Yunhe, which matched what Zhuge Hualuan had thought. Naturally, she was extremely excited.
Luo Zhiheng raised an eyebrow, looking at Qin Sheng with a strange expression. Her hometown had given her a zither; surely they didn't want something in return?
The Qin Saint said expressionlessly, "What are you all so excited about? I forgot to tell you, the person you wanted to marry Zhuge Hualuan to is someone I've always wanted to take as my disciple, named Luo Zhiheng!"
Zhuge Hualuan's excited expression froze instantly, and Zhuge Huahun was also shocked and unable to remain calm.
"So you, Zhuge Hualuan, have no chance of marrying my disciple, because she is a woman, and already married." The Qin Saint finished speaking coolly and then dozed off, no longer paying attention to the grandfather and grandson.
"How could this be?" Zhuge Huahun was extremely shocked. Someone who could catch the eye of the Qin Saint must be extraordinary. But then he thought about it and realized that Luo Zhiheng was indeed excellent. Her hand-painting was simply divine. He had to admire her.
Zhuge Hualuan's eyes were filled with anger, hatred, and of course, jealousy!
Luo Zhiheng was very surprised. When did she become the disciple of the Qin Saint? How come she didn't know?
"Luo Zhiheng, you really are shameless! How can someone of your age be so bewitched by you!" Zhuge Hualuan said angrily, her words tumbling out incoherently.
With a slap, Zhuge Huahun slapped Zhuge Hualuan so hard she staggered, and angrily pointed at her, saying, "When did you learn to speak so filthyly? Quickly kowtow to Luo Zhiheng and admit your mistake, and stop disgracing the Zhuge family, or I won't be able to protect you."
"I don't admit it! I did nothing wrong!" Zhuge Hualuan shouted defiantly, but she was afraid of Zhuge Huahun and hid behind her mother. Her mother, however, was not afraid of Zhuge Huahun and angrily said, "Why do you always make Hualuan apologize? You're not fair, you're senile!"
Zhuge Huahun was stunned. His granddaughter-in-law dared to call him senile? He angrily pointed at the mother and daughter and shouted, "You two scoundrels, are you trying to ruin the Zhuge family? If you want to die, don't drag the Zhuge family down with you! My Zhuge family has no place for two scum like you! I'm giving you one last chance. If you don't apologize to Luo Zhiheng, then from today onwards, you are no longer members of the Zhuge family!"
Zhuge Hualuan's expression changed drastically. She knew what she would lose if she wasn't a member of the Zhuge family, so she was afraid, but she didn't believe that her ancestor would be so heartless. Her mother, however, was not afraid at all and said, "You have no right to expel us! My husband is the current head of the Zhuge family! You should have retired to the forest long ago."
This is a real case of infighting! Luo Zhiheng watched the spectacle with a smile.
Zhuge Huahun's chest heaved with rage as he roared, "Guards, bring me the family tree! I'll let this vile woman see for herself who the true head of the Zhuge family is, and whether I have the right to expel these two hussies from the family!"
It's past midnight, that's all for today's update. I'll keep working hard tomorrow. Please vote, leave comments, and give me monthly tickets! Love you all!
264 Internal strife! Mu Yunhe has disappeared!
Updated: 2013-08-18 13:42:24 Word Count: 3429