His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

The life and death of the Mu family

There were other important matters, matters concerning the life and death of the Mu family, waiting for her to handle.

Mu Yuan reacted quickly and went to help him up.

Qin Hongxiu was completely naked, her exquisite and graceful figure displayed so nakedly before Mu Yuan's eyes that Mu Yuan instantly felt his mouth go dry.

Mu Yuan was also completely naked. When Qin Hongxiu looked down, she immediately blushed with embarrassment.

She said with a coquettish smile:

"At a time like this, you still have the mind to think about such things."

Mu Yuan blushed and said, "It's mainly because you're so beautiful. It would be really strange if I didn't react."

Upon hearing this, Qin Hongxiu's face flushed red all the way to her ears.

Mu Yuan suppressed his impulse and helped Qin Hongxiu get dressed.

Although he wanted to do it again, the current situation did not allow him to continue with his romantic feelings.

Get dressed.

The two chatted for a while.

Qin Hongxiu then left in a hurry.

That night.

Mu Yuan stood by the window, his gaze deep and intent, staring at the moon in the sky.

He didn't even notice Xu Wei's arrival.

"My dear nephew!"

It was only when Xu Wei spoke up that Mu Yuan, who was lost in moon-gazing, was brought back to reality.

Hearing the voice, Mu Yuan turned around and saw that it was Xu Wei. He said:

"Uncle Xu".

Xu Wei sighed and said, "Although the memorial didn't reach me, I still managed to find out about it."

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuan was stunned.

He began to wonder why Xu Wei's channels for making inquiries were so effective.

It should be noted that when memorials were sent from the palace to the Crown Prince, only the Fourth Prince Zhu Qi acted as their intermediary; no one else had any say in them.

How did Xu Wei find out?

"Uncle Xu, is your connection... the Emperor?" The only person Mu Yuan could think of besides the Emperor was the Emperor.

Xu Wei neither admitted nor denied it.

Remembering Xu Wei's earlier words about not getting involved with the various factions in the capital, and considering that Xu Wei himself was unwilling to get involved in the power struggles within the imperial court, Mu Yuan finally understood that Xu Wei had always been the emperor's man.

The emperor also privately revealed many secrets to Xu Wei.

"What does Your Majesty intend to do next regarding the Fang family's bribery of officials involved in the canal transport?" Mu Yuan asked.

Xu Wei took a deep breath and slowly said:

"I'm not sure how His Majesty will handle this, but I do know that His Majesty intends to hand the matter over to the Crown Prince."

Mu Yuan didn't speak, but judging from the information Xu Wei revealed, the emperor clearly intended to escalate the matter.

After all, the more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for him.

If Mu Yuan does not submit to Crown Prince Zhu Xu, then the consequence will be that Zhu Xu will take action against Mu Yuan.

Mu Yuan would not sit idly by and wait for his doom.

In addition, the fourth prince, Zhu Qi, delivered the memorial to Zhu Xu on his behalf.

They were also drawn into it.

Mu Yuan commands 200,000 troops of the Western Army, Crown Prince Zhu Xu has a strong and well-equipped army, and the Fourth Prince Zhu Qi has won over scholars from all over the country and is highly admired by them.

Once these three forces break off relations...

Then, the situation in the capital was completely thrown into chaos.

The emperor could then use this opportunity to focus on cultivating the successor he had chosen.

Mu Yuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the windowsill, moonlight falling on his tense profile, a cold, sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

He had previously thought the emperor was using the Grand Canal case to put pressure on the Fang family, but now he realized the true intention behind this move. This was not a mere warning; it was clearly a ploy to use this as a trigger to completely disrupt the situation!

"What is the Crown Prince's attitude now?" Mu Yuan asked.

Xu Wei was the emperor's man, so he must have been fully aware of what was happening in the capital.

Previously, Mu Yuan was worried that the Xu family had spies from the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince, and that Xu Wei had been living under the secret surveillance of others.

Looking at it now...

Mu Yuan felt that his worries were unnecessary.

Xu Wei pondered for a moment and said, "As far as I know, just half an hour ago, the Crown Prince summoned the people of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for a private talk."

It seems the Crown Prince is also making preparations in advance.

Mu Yuan narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them.

Although Crown Prince Zhu Xu agreed to give him a day to consider, during this period, the Crown Prince not only did not sit idly by and wait for his doom, but may have even prepared two plans.

One option is for Mu Yuan to compromise, allowing the Crown Prince to gain absolute power and force the Emperor to abdicate.

Another one is...

If Mu Yuan doesn't agree, he will immediately launch an investigation into the other party's family.

In a very short time, the focus shifted directly to the Mu family.

"Isn't it too risky of you to send Miss Qin back to the southwest to mobilize the Western Army?"

At this moment, Xu Wei suddenly spoke.

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuan's eyes widened, and he looked at Xu Wei in disbelief:

"You knew that too?"

"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever!" Xu Wei smiled.

In fact, from the moment Qin Hongxiu left the Xu residence, someone was specifically watching her. Moreover, the people following her secretly discovered that Qin Hongxiu was heading southwest.

The news quickly reached the emperor's ears.

The emperor naturally informed Xu Wei of this matter.

Having served as an official for many years, Xu Wei pieced together these fragmented events and immediately understood Qin Hongxiu's intention in leaving.

"Does His Majesty know about this?" Mu Yuan asked.

Xu Wei shook his head and said, "His Majesty only knows that Miss Qin left the capital, but he doesn't know what she's going to do."

Hearing this, Mu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said:

"So, what Uncle Xu said just now was only his own opinion?"

Xu Wei remained silent.

Mu Yuan smiled calmly and said, "I didn't expect Uncle Xu to have such strong analytical skills. He can deduce the result from such a small matter."

Xu Wei laughed heartily and said:

"Nephew, you flatter me too much. However, you've probably forgotten my status."

Mu Yuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Xu Wei was the Minister of Justice, and his greatest skill was reasoning.

Besides, he was the emperor's man.

He could get the latest news from the emperor about any unusual events in the capital, and through various inferences, he could know in advance how things would unfold.

Mu Yuan had to admire this.

"Now that you know why I made Qin Hongxiu leave, what do you plan to do?" Mu Yuan asked Xu Wei.

Unauthorized troop movements are a capital offense.

Mu Yuan wanted to know what choice Xu Wei would make next.

"I was just guessing, I have no real evidence," Xu Wei said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Mu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Wei did not directly state his opinion, but the speculation in his words implied that he did not want to get involved and would not tell the emperor.

Xu Wei patted Mu Yuan on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Nephew, you must be very careful now that things have come to this!"

Mu Yuan nodded, just as he was about to continue speaking.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside.

The next moment, a servant from the Xu family stood at the door, head bowed, and said:

"Master, Young Master."

"What is it?" Xu Wei asked.

"The Fourth Prince's residence sent someone, saying they have urgent business with the Heir Apparent."