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

"Mu Yuan".

"The child is here."

But even though Mu Yuan had prepared himself mentally, he was still so shocked by what was said next that he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

"From this day forward, your seven sisters-in-law are yours!"

That said, Mu Yuan couldn't help but take a closer look at his seven sisters-in-law. Each of them was beautiful, and each had her own unique charm. They were seven stunning beauties, truly breathtaking.

If he were to start a harem, he'd definitely reach the pinnacle of life.

The sisters-in-law also noticed Mu Yuan's bold and admiring gaze. They were both embarrassed and annoyed, but also a little surprised. Their brother-in-law, Lao Ba, was not only physically weak but also timid. He usually didn't even dare to look them in the eye. But today he had suddenly become bold.

"Grandma, what are you talking about?!" Sister-in-law Qin Hongxiu's face flushed red, and her tone was intense.

The other sisters-in-law were about to join in the opposition.

Just then, a muffled thud was heard, accompanied by the sound of bluestone bricks and tiles breaking, and the scene fell silent for a moment.

Old Madam Mu slammed her iron cane down heavily, sending stone chips flying across the ground, her voice sharp and stern:

"Your Highness, Eunuch Liu, I have received this imperial edict."

"But since this concerns military power, I dare not trouble Your Majesty. My Mu family still has men!"

Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, paused, then scrutinized the composed Mu Yuanlai once more, his gaze filled with contempt.

"Hehe, Madam, have you thought this through? Leading troops into battle is no joke. One mishap, and your Mu family line will truly end..."

Zhu Zheng smiled insincerely, his words carrying no attempt to conceal his contempt and threat.

"Besides, this young master's reputation isn't exactly stellar..."

A good-for-nothing who's been soaking in medicine for over a decade, struggling even to stand, how can he possibly command hundreds of thousands of troops in the southwest?

Old Madam Mu stopped looking at him and shouted sternly:

"Yuan'er, see the guest out."

The loud noise made everyone's ears ring, and no one dared to refute it.

"Yes."

Mu Yuan did not step forward, but instead slowly walked to Seventh Sister Tuoba Yue's side and whispered:

"Seventh Sister-in-law, may I borrow your bow and arrows?"

Tuoba Yue opened her beautiful eyes wide in surprise. Why did her brother-in-law want to borrow a bow and arrow from her? Could it be that he is skilled at archery?

Despite his thoughts, hearing the unquestionable tone in Mu Yuan's words, he obediently handed over the bow and arrows.

Mu Yuan took it and plucked the bowstring.

It's so-so.

Although this body is indeed a bit weak, as an elite among elite special forces soldiers in his previous life, shooting an arrow at him is still no problem.

All eyes in the room were now focused on Mu Yuan.

Zhu Zheng's face was full of mockery. This kid is a weakling, what is he pretending for?

The next second, before anyone could even see the movement clearly, the bow was already fully drawn.

Whoosh!!

The arrow flew like a meteor, heading straight for Zhu Zheng!

"Wow!" The arrow grazed the Prince of Ning's face, scaring him so much that he scrambled to his feet, almost losing his mind.

How dare this kid do that?

"You, you dare to plot to assassinate the imperial envoy? Do you want to rebel?" Enraged, Zhu Zheng almost jumped up and howled.

"What are you saying, Prince Ning?"

Mu Yuan remained calm and shrugged, saying:

"Everyone knows I've always been physically weak and have never practiced archery. That was just an accident, a misunderstanding."

As he spoke, he drew his bow again and nocked an arrow.

"Misunderstanding?" Zhu Zheng seemed to have a new understanding of Mu Yuan, his teeth chattering.

"Of course. But I have to see you out now. If you don't leave, I don't mind practicing a bit more."

As Mu Yuan spoke, the arrow was once again aimed at Zhu Zheng.

"Fine, very well." Zhu Zheng was furious, but dared not linger any longer, for who knew what Mu Yuan might do.

"The Mu family are all lunatics! Let's go!"

With a bitter remark, Zhu Zheng turned and left. Eunuch Liu and the imperial guards hurriedly followed behind, their movements haphazard and disorganized.

however.

After the outsiders left, the Mu family remained in a deathly silence.

Especially the seven sisters-in-law, although one wave has temporarily subsided, another wave has begun.

"Grandma, what you just said isn't true, is it...?"

Seventh Sister-in-law Tuoba Yue couldn't help but step forward and ask.

Marrying all seven sisters-in-law to the younger brother-in-law? That's utterly absurd.

"My mind is made up on this matter, you need not say more." Old Madam Mu's voice was resolute and echoed for a long time in the empty hall.

"I'll give you 100 days to adjust. After 100 days, it will be your wedding day."

"But Grandma."

Second sister-in-law Su Wanqing's lips were completely bloodless, and she said in a trembling voice, "I... I would rather never marry than..."

"Never marry? Do you think Prince Ning and his men will let you go? Without a man to protect you, who will guarantee your safety?"

Su Wanqing was struck as if by lightning and could no longer speak.

The hall fell into a deathly silence once again.

After a moment, Old Madam Mu wearily raised her hand and sighed, "Yuan'er, you are the only man left in the Mu family. You must make your father and brothers proud."

"grandmother."

Seeing this scene, Mu Yuan was well aware of everyone's worries. It was not only that marrying seven sisters-in-law was against human ethics, but also that they were concerned about the future of the entire Mu family.

The key issue is that he, as the only male heir of the Mu family, needs to be able to stand up and be respected.

If not, then all is lost, and no matter how much you struggle, there will be little improvement.

Therefore, it is essential to instill confidence in the matriarch and everyone else.

"I think there's no need to worry too much; the Mu family still has room to maneuver."

Upon hearing this, all the sisters-in-law couldn't help but look over in astonishment. Zhu Zheng, the Mu family's political enemy, had rushed from the capital to the southwest, and with an imperial edict in hand, he was fearless. Wasn't this a matter of imminent danger?

Seemingly seeing through everyone's doubts, Mu Yuan calmly said:

"My father's title of Prince of Xiping was personally bestowed by the founding emperor, who held great power over the southwestern border army. It was hereditary and perpetual, and was long ago written into the royal ancestral precepts, to be shared with the nation."

"Judging from the Emperor's edict, it seems more like a test, and the wording is quite ambiguous. It says that Prince Ning will temporarily take command of the military, yet it speaks of showing compassion for the Mu family's misfortune, as if it's for our benefit..."

"So what?"

Sixth Sister-in-law Fu Yuqing retorted indignantly, "That dog of an emperor is clearly just looking for an excuse to seize military power. What can we do?"

Qin Hongxiu and the other women nodded, feeling that there was no solution.

Mu Yuan didn't make things difficult, and calmly said as usual, "But why was the imperial edict issued like this? It's because its legal basis is inherently flawed!"

"Firstly, my father and brother sacrificed their lives for the country. According to the established system of the Great Qian Dynasty, the whole country should observe a hundred days of mourning, and the royal family should observe three years of mourning. During this period, the military and personnel system in the southwest should remain unchanged to avoid any unrest."

"Our Great Qian Dynasty governs the world with loyalty and filial piety. The emperor's actions are clearly unfilial to our founding emperor!"