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

They returned to the Xifu Army's garrison.

Having received advance notice that Mu Yuan had been exonerated and released, the entire army gathered at the entrance early to welcome him.

"General, it's so good to hear you're alright. We've missed you so much these past few days."

Standing at the front, Yang Daye, with snot and tears streaming down his face, opened his arms as he spoke, about to go forward and hug Mu Yuan.

However, Mu Yuan felt a wave of embarrassment and quickly took a few steps back, saying, "Commander Yang, we're all grown men, let's not do this."

Upon hearing this, a burst of hearty laughter erupted from all around.

The other soldiers also expressed their longing for Mu Yuan. Some of them originally wanted to hug Mu Yuan like Yang Daye did, but since Yang Daye had been rejected before, they gave up the idea.

There were too many people gathered at the entrance, so Mu Yuan suggested:

"It's not convenient to talk here, let's go to the central command tent to discuss this."

......

Inside the central command tent.

"General, I heard that Feng Zhong was poisoned to death by Lan Que, the son of the Duke of Liang. Is this true or false?" As soon as Yang Daye sat down, he asked the question he most wanted to know.

Mu Yuan nodded.

Everyone clicked their tongues in amazement when they saw Mu Yuan nod.

"I never imagined that Feng Zhong would be poisoned by his own people."

"Hmph, the son of a Duke, I never expected him to be so despicable and vicious. He's utterly a scoundrel!"

The officers present cursed Lan Que. Although Feng Zhong deserved to die, it was truly unfair that a military officer was killed by the son he served.

"Is the army still safe and sound while I've been away?" Mu Yuan didn't want to talk too much about Lan Que, so he changed the subject to the recent situation of the Xifu Army.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, as you instructed, everything in the army is proceeding in an orderly manner."

Yang Daye answered truthfully, then added, "We discussed privately a few days ago and gave some money to those new recruits recruited by Feng Zhong so they could go back to farming."

"They didn't cause any trouble, did they?" Mu Yuan asked.

Yang Daye chuckled awkwardly and said, "No, they got the money and left willingly."

"Yeah?"

Mu Yuan noticed that Yang Daye's smile was somewhat guilty, clearly indicating that he did not believe him. Looking at the officers present, they all seemed equally guilty, and he instantly understood everything.

It's true that money was given, but threats and intimidation were definitely involved in the process.

After all, since Feng Zhong's arrival, the recent disturbances in the army have all been caused by the new recruits.

Simply offering money to get troublesome recruits to agree is clearly not going to work.

Yang Daye is also known for his fiery temper.

A clash of titans.

The process was naturally not as smooth as Yang Daye described.

Of course, Mu Yuan did not pursue the matter further.

Most of the new recruits recruited by Feng Zhong were not carefully screened or tested. They were a mixed bag, and most of them were unqualified and did not meet the recruitment standards of the Xifu Army.

It might not be a bad thing that Yang Daye used underhanded methods to get rid of him.

at the same time.

the other side.

Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, bribed the jailers and went to the place where he was imprisoned in Lanque.

Seeing the despicable man betraying him after using him, Lan Que ignored the pain in his mouth and angrily cursed, "You bastard who betrays his benefactor! You even sold me out! Aren't you afraid I'll tell my father when I get back?!"

"A mere duke, would I be afraid of him?" Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, sneered, his eyes full of indifference.

Lan Que's gaze darkened: "What about the Crown Prince? Aren't you afraid?"

Upon hearing this, Prince Ning burst into wild laughter, "Crown Prince? After I eliminate Mu Yuan and seize control of the Western Army, both the Crown Prince and your father will die!!!"

"What do you mean?" Lan Que's heart skipped a beat.

From beginning to end, he believed that Prince Ning had a grudge against Mu Yuan and coveted the Western Army under Mu Yuan's control. He did not expect that Prince Ning's ambitions were far greater.

"I've come here to ensure you die knowing the truth!"

Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, dropped the pretense. "I am acting on the Emperor's orders to not only eliminate the Mu family but also seize control of the Western Army. Only with military power can I deal with the Crown Prince and your father!"

Lan Que's eyes widened. He had sought cooperation with Prince Ning earlier because they shared a common enemy.

That is—Mu Yuan!

Who would have thought that Prince Ning's true purpose was to serve the emperor.

"Help! Help!"

Lan Que kept banging on the cell door, trying to summon the jailer.

Soon, footsteps echoed down the corridor.

The person who came was not a jailer.

Instead, they were Prince Ning's personal guards.

"Stop shouting, the jailers won't come." Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, laughed arrogantly and gave his guards a wink.

The guard took out a key and opened the cell door.

Lan Que was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly. It was clear that Prince Ning intended to silence him.

"My father is a Duke. You can't lay a hand on me. Be careful, or my father will tell the Crown Prince, and none of you will escape." Lan Que leaned against the wall, constantly threatening the guards who were about to open the prison door and close it tightly.

Unfortunately, the guards turned a deaf ear.

They had a clear division of labor: the four of them forcibly held down Lan Que's limbs and then pushed him to the ground.

One of the guards took out a small knife from his pocket.

They forcibly pried open Lan Que's mouth, pulled out his tongue, and then swiftly brought down the knife.

In the blink of an eye.

Lan Que's tongue was cut off by a sharp knife.

He cried out in pain.

However, this was not the end. The guard gripped the sharp knife in his hand and stabbed it into Lan Que's eyes.

The four guards who were holding down Lan Que's limbs exerted their strength at the same time, and several crisp cracking sounds of bones breaking were heard. Lan Que's hands and feet were forcibly broken.

Through the prison door, Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, looked at the barely recognizable Lan Que and said with a sinister smile:

"Don't worry, I won't take your life. I'll just turn you into a human pig. After that, you won't be able to speak, you won't be able to see, and you won't be able to walk or crawl. Living like that will be more painful than dying!"

After saying this, Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, left gracefully with his guards.

Inside the cell, only the barely recognizable Lan Que remained, whimpering incessantly.

the same day.

Mu Yuan also received news that Lan Que had been turned into a human pig.

His first thought was Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng.

When Qin Hongxiu learned of this, she also thought of Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng.

Apart from him.

No one has dared to harm Lan Que yet.

"This person is truly despicable. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, and he even betrays those who cooperate with him!" Qin Hongxiu said angrily.

Mu Yuan didn't find it strange.

Prince Ning, Zhu Zheng, has always prioritized self-interest. He discards those who are no longer of use to him without hesitation, turning a blind eye to their usefulness.

Amidst her anger, Qin Hongxiu couldn't help but feel some doubt:

"Why didn't Prince Ning kill him?"

"That's easy. Lan Que is dead, so be it. It's not like Duke Liang has no offspring. But if he's turned into a human pig, what do you think Duke Liang will think every time he sees Lan Que's horrific state?"