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

As the two were laughing and joking, a coughing sound came from the side.

The sound interrupted their actions.

Looking in the direction of the sound.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Old Madam Mu, leaning on her dragon-headed cane, quietly stood about three zhang away.

She deliberately kept a straight face, but her eyes couldn't hide her joy.

Old Madam Mu had originally planned for Mu Yuan to marry one of her seven widowed sisters-in-law. Now, Mu Yuan and Qin Hongxiu were deeply in love, which was exactly the result she wanted to see.

However, it was truly inappropriate for Mu Yuan and Qin Hongxiu to be laughing and joking like this in public.

Only then did Old Madam Mu put on a stern face, giving the two of them a small warning.

"You guys chat, I'm going back to my room to pack my luggage."

Caught red-handed by Old Madam Mu, Qin Hongxiu was so ashamed that she couldn't face anyone. She left in a hurry after saying a few words.

"Yuan'er, it hasn't even been a hundred days yet, and you and Hongxiu are already inseparable. It seems that my Mu family has produced a great romantic." Old Madam Mu said with a smile.

Mu Yuan didn't know whether Old Madam Mu's words were a compliment or a veiled criticism, so he could only smile awkwardly.

"I have already written a letter and sent it to the capital. If you encounter any difficulties in the capital, you can seek help from Xu Wei, the Minister of Justice," Old Madam Mu earnestly advised.

Mu Yuan nodded and said:

"Grandson understands."

"Yuan'er, the capital is not like the southwest. You must be careful in everything you do."

Old Madam Mu gave her numerous and patient instructions.

Although she had said this many times, she still couldn't help but give him these words when she thought about Mu Yuan going to the capital and facing powerful figures from all sides.

Mu Yuan naturally knew that Old Madam Mu was worried about him, and he patiently responded to her repeated instructions each time.

The next day.

Early in the morning.

Mu Yuan and Qin Hongxiu rode together in a carriage, leading the Shadow Squad headed by Jin Kui, and officially embarked on their journey to the capital.

"Did Sixth Sister-in-law say anything to you during your trip to the capital?"

Qin Hongxiu knew that Mu Yuan was not only close to her, but also very close to Lin Xueshang.

This time I'm going to the capital.

She was curious whether Lin Xueshang had spoken with Mu Yuan before leaving.

Mu Yuan shook his head and said:

"After returning to the Prince of Xiping's residence, I rarely saw her anymore."

As soon as he said this, Mu Yuan suddenly realized something, and his expression became serious.

Qin Hongxiu noticed that Mu Yuan's expression was strange and asked:

"What's wrong?"

Mu Yuan did not answer, but instead raised his hand to lift the curtain and looked around.

His actions piqued Qin Hongxiu's curiosity.

He was just about to speak again.

Mu Yuan said, "Sixth Sister-in-law has probably caught up."

"What?" Qin Hongxiu was startled at first, but then, based on the conversation and Lin Xueshang's personality, she immediately understood and nodded, saying, "That's like her personality!"

The carriage sped along the smooth official road.

Deep in the nearby jungle, Lin Xueshang rode a brown horse, heading in the exact same direction as Mu Yuan's carriage.

Ten days later.

Daqian Kyoto.

"The capital city is more prosperous than the southwest."

The carriage slowly entered the capital. Mu Yuan stepped down from the carriage and looked at the magnificent buildings on both sides and the bustling streets teeming with people. He couldn't help but sigh.

Qin Hongxiu beside him was completely different; her expression was filled with more感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and reflection).

Kyoto is her home.

Since marrying into the Mu family in the southwest.

She never set foot in Kyoto again.

After several years, Qin Hongxiu returned to Kyoto and suddenly felt a complex mix of emotions, like being close to home but also feeling apprehensive.

"This is your home, so please lead the way and take me to the Qin residence. I'd like to pay my respects to the Duke of Qin," Mu Yuan said with a faint smile.

The visit was just a pretext. Mu Yuan's real purpose was to see what the Qin family's attitude was. The last time the emperor issued an edict ordering the seven wives of the Mu family to remarry, it was simply because he wanted to use imperial power to suppress them!

But this time it's completely different.

When the emperor issued an edict ordering Qin Hongxiu to remarry, the Qin family got involved and actually agreed.

The Duke of Qin's Mansion.

Upon learning of Qin Hongxiu's return.

The entire Duke of Qin's mansion was in an uproar.

Led by Qin Hongxiu, Mu Yuan arrived at the hall.

At this moment, a dozen or so elegantly dressed women, of all ages, had gathered in the hall.

Introduced by Qin Hongxiu.

Mu Yuancai then learned that they were all distant relatives of the Qin family.

Those present noticed Mu Yuan and asked Qin Hongxiu, "Hongxiu, who is this?"

"Mu Yuan, the heir of the Mu family."

The moment Qin Hongxiu revealed Mu Yuan's identity, the smiles on the faces of all the aunts and uncles present vanished instantly.

Everyone looked at Mu Yuan with hostility.

The originally lively atmosphere suddenly turned sour.

Just then.

A deep, resonant voice came from outside:

"My daughter, my dear daughter, you're finally back! Your father has missed you so much!"

As the voice rang out.

A middle-aged man with a robust build, dressed in brocade robes and black gown, walked in from outside.

His face was beaming with smiles, as if he had won a great victory.

Upon seeing him, Qin Hongxiu blurted out:

"father."

As she spoke, she rushed forward and threw herself into his arms.

The middle-aged man was none other than Qin Hongxiu's father, the current Duke of Qin, Qin Mu.

Qin Mu looked at Qin Hongxiu in his arms, examining her carefully. His eyes showed not only doting affection but also heartache.

"Sleeve, you've lost weight."

His comment that she had lost weight caused Qin Hongxiu to burst into tears and cry loudly.

At this moment, Qin Hongxiu was no longer General Qin, but rather a young woman who had been wronged and was hiding in her father's arms, crying loudly to vent her emotions.

"Alright, alright, Xiu'er, don't cry. It's good that you're back," Qin Mu comforted her gently.

Qin Hongxiu gradually stopped crying, then suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to introduce Mu Yuan. She hastily wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, pointed at Mu Yuan, and said to Qin Mu:

"Father, he is Mu Yuan, the heir of the Mu family."

Following Qin Hongxiu's gaze, Qin Mu looked at Mu Yuan, his smile instantly freezing. He then frowned and said coldly:

"Mu Yuan, as the heir of the Prince of Xiping, are you aware that you are not permitted to enter the capital without being summoned?"

Sensing that Qin Mu's words contained no concern but only blame, Mu Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he also felt a little angry.

He traveled a long way to bring Qin Hongxiu back, but instead of gratitude, he was met with blame!

Although he was angry, out of respect for elders, Mu Yuan suppressed his displeasure and greeted Qin Mu with clasped hands.

"Uncle Qin."

"Before I get angry enough to report your unauthorized entry to the capital to the court, you'd better leave now!" Qin Mu issued the order to leave without any mercy.

Mu Yuan could no longer hold back.

He immediately cited the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty to refute this, saying:

"Duke of Qin, what do you mean by that? As the heir of the Mu family, I am indeed not allowed to enter the capital without a summons. However, as a member of the Mu family, escorting my sister-in-law back is only reasonable and does not violate any court regulations!"

Because of Qin Mu's attitude, Mu Yuan changed his address from Uncle Qin to Duke of Qin.

Sensing that the atmosphere was tense, Qin Hongxiu quickly spoke up for Mu Yuan:

"Father, Mu Yuan went through all that trouble to bring me back from afar, how can you treat him like this?"