Chapter 37

  Murong Feng closed his eyes, "Alright, go prepare the carriage, Chunliu, help me change my clothes and follow me back to the Murong King's mansion. Yanyu, you go tell the Empress Dowager that I won't be going to keep her company today, after things are settled at home, I'll go bother her again."

  The horse carriage galloped along, accompanied by the sound of horseshoes and wheels. Mu Rong Feng let out a soft sigh as the morning breeze lifted the curtain, revealing the distant sign "Drunken Spring Pavilion". Mu Rong Feng shifted his gaze, leaned back against the chair, closed his eyes quietly, and remained silent.

  "Miss, don't be angry," Chun Liu said softly. "Actually, last night the Fourth Prince came back and went to see you first, but since you were asleep, he didn't wake you up. As for... Moon Jiao, I've also heard Smoke Jade sister mention it before, that last night she might have been very ill, so someone came to trouble the Fourth Prince, saying that maybe now the Fourth Prince has already returned to the mansion and will rush to the Wang Mansion soon."

  Murong Feng said faintly: "I'm tired, I want to rest for a while, remember to call me when you arrive at the Wang Fu."

  Chun Liu didn't say anything more, but in her heart she was deeply grieved. The matter of the mistress and the crown prince's behavior must have wounded Miss so badly.

  As soon as they arrived at the gate of Murong Wangfu, a commotion was heard. Murong Feng got off the carriage and saw Murong Xue in an instant, wearing a plain white long dress, but after just two nights of intimacy, Murong Xue's eyes and eyebrows already had the charm of a young married woman.

  "Third sister." Murong Xue saw Murong Feng and immediately rushed forward, tears in her eyes. "Third sister, please help me! Father has ordered that I am not allowed to set foot in the Murong Royal Manor. I want to go inside and see Mother, but these servants won't let me pass."

  The guard at the gate saw Murong Feng and immediately said: "Third Miss, you'd better hurry in, First Miss and Second Miss are waiting for you."

  Murong Feng could only say to Murong Xue, "I'll go in first and take a look at Mother. You wait here for now. Father is still angry, it's better if you avoid him for the time being, lest you provoke his anger again."

  After finishing, he hastily entered the courtyard. Murong Xue also wanted to follow him in, but the gatekeeper closed the big gate and said through the door: "Sorry, Fourth Miss, this is what Master ordered. If we let you in, Master will definitely break our legs."

  Murong Xue rushed into Rui Xi's arms and burst into tears.

  Rui Xi couldn't help but support Murong Xue, whose body was still weak from the previous night's ordeal. Her delicate face, still flushed with shame, lingered in Rui Xi's mind, refusing to be dispelled. The Emperor, despite being above all others, was after all a man of similar age to her father. Why couldn't she marry someone suitable? Instead, she had to marry such an old man. How could the Empress not feel heartbroken, having doted on Murong Xue like that, only for her to become the Emperor's consort in such a confusing and hasty manner? It was all so distressing that it even affected Third Miss, who had to take Murong Xue's place and marry that scoundrel, the Fourth Prince. If what Eldest Miss said was true, then perhaps it would have been better not to intervene at all and let Murong Xue marry as she pleased.

  As soon as they entered the main hall, Murong Feng felt that something was wrong. Everyone's face looked very solemn, and Murong Xuan had brought Imperial Physician Cao from the palace. He had just come out of the inner chamber, his face heavy with a shake of his head. "Crown Prince's Consort, please forgive me for my lack of medical skills. The Lady is beyond hope, please prepare for the worst."

  Murong Xuan's eyes turned black and she fainted to the ground.

  Everyone was in a flurry, helping her to sit down on the chair. Cao Taishi hurried forward and administered emergency treatment. After a long time, Murong Xuan slowly came back to consciousness, looked at Cao Taishi, smiled wryly, and weakly asked: "Cao Taishi, did my mother leave any last words?"

  Cao Taiyi nodded, "Your mother just said she wanted to see Third Miss."

  Murong Feng immediately said: "I'll go in right away."

  Cao Taiyi sighed and said softly, "Everyone can follow me in together. Lady Murong is now on her last breath and won't be able to hold on for much longer. When you go in, no one should speak, just listen to what she has to say. She still has a lot of pent-up emotions in her heart, let her talk it out and then she can pass away peacefully."

  Murong Feng nodded and walked into his mother's inner chamber, where his father was also present.

  Murong Qingliang looked as if he had aged a decade overnight, his hair was gray and white, with more white than gray, messy and unkempt, his face had many wrinkles, his beard was disheveled, haggard and worn out, his eyes fixed intently on the pale-faced madam on the bed.

  Mrs. Murong lay weakly on the bed, her face deathly pale with no blood color, a dark blue bruise on her neck shocking to see, and it seemed like she was only exhaling without inhaling.

  Seeing Murong Feng, tears welled up in Mrs. Murong's eyes and fell onto the pillow as she softly called out: "Feng'er."

  "Mother." Murong Feng knelt down in front of the bed, grasping Madam Murong's hands which were trying to reach out to her. Those hands were as cold as ice blocks and trembling non-stop.

  "Feng'er," Mrs. Murong panted, saying with difficulty, "Mother is sorry for you, Mother really can't put her heart at ease about you. Xue'er that servant girl is to blame for her own misfortune, it's just a pity for you, Mother has truly wronged you your whole life, Feng'er, Mother hates herself!"

  Murong Feng's tears kept flowing non-stop as he held Murong Fu's hand, choking with sobs.

  "Has the Fourth Prince arrived?" Lady Murong forced a faint smile on her face, stroking her daughter's hair as she trembled with the question.

  Murong Feng was speechless for a moment, with only tears flowing.

  Mrs. Murong's heart aches, pitiful are the hearts of parents all over the world. Murong Feng and Murong Xue are both flesh and blood to her, which one doesn't hurt? Maybe she's more partial to her little daughter, after all Murong Xue is a lovely girl who has always been doted on by her parents.

  Now I regret it, and it's true. If I could do it again, I might not make the same choice. At most, I wouldn't let either of them get married. Think about the status of the Murong royal family - even the emperor would have to give in a bit. If they didn't get married, maybe things wouldn't be like this today. Xue'er became the emperor's consort without knowing what was going on, and Feng'er married an incompetent crown prince - how can I die with my eyes closed?!

  "Maple, mother, it's really regrettable!" The last glimmer of hope in Mrs. Murong's eyes disappeared, and she was still holding onto illusions, perhaps the fourth prince would come, listening to her eldest daughter say that Maple was extremely pampered by the empress dowager in the palace, and Sima Rui also began to stay with the fourth prince, it turned out that everything was just deceiving her, letting her be at ease.

  "Mother, mother——" Murong Feng couldn't say a word, he could only softly call out, calling out until everyone in the house was crying.

  Tears fell from the corner of Murong's wife's eyes, one by one, her eyelids slowly closing. Even in death, she didn't want to see Murong Xue again, that daughter who had hurt her so deeply. If she was resentful, let her be tormented with guilt for the rest of her life. What a sin! How could her husband face his colleagues at court? "Qingliang, I'm not a good wife, I'll go first." She muttered to herself, her breathing already stopped.

  "Mother! ——” The hands in Murong Feng's hand suddenly drooped, Murong Feng's heartbeat almost stopped, tears blurred, and a cry, heart-wrenching, "Feng'er doesn't blame you, really doesn't blame you! Mother, where did you go? What should Feng'er do?"

  Everyone in the house knelt down and wailed, their cries filling the air.

  Murong Qingliang closed his eyes, and tears flowed into his mouth. His wife, who had been with him for so many years, had given birth to their children, but now she was gone without a word. How could he go on living? His lips were bitten until they bled, his sobs were stuck in his throat, and his fingernails dug into his flesh until they drew blood, yet he felt no pain.

  A gentleman takes revenge, ten years is not too late. Murong Qing's heart kept repeating, he must make this high and mighty king pay for the debt of robbing his daughter and harming his wife!