The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

The Eastern Palace.

The candlelight was bright.

Murong Hao stood with his hands behind his back by the window.

Behind him, Gao Sheng stood bowing.

"Your Highness, Wang Long has safely delivered Princess to the Marquis's residence."

"We did encounter an ambush on the way."

Murong Hao's fingers tightened slightly.

"casualties?"

Gao Sheng told him the truth, and Murong Hao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

He hadn't misjudged Wang Long; Wang Long truly possessed the ability to protect Murong Qing, so he could rest assured.

Murong Hao walked back to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked towards the direction of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion in the distance.

"It's good that Qing'er is safe."

He muttered to himself, the coldness in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by an undisguised sense of guilt.

"I, as her elder brother, cannot protect her; I have to rely on an outsider..."

He took a deep breath and suppressed those emotions.

Just then, the voice of a eunuch rang out from outside the door.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Murong Hao quickly straightened his clothes and stood up to greet him.

In the courtyard, a figure in bright yellow stood with his hands behind his back.

Murong Yuan was dressed in a black casual robe and stood there alone without any attendants.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

Murong Hao stepped forward quickly and bowed.

Murong Yuan waved his hand, his voice a little hoarse.

"My son and I don't need to be so distant in private."

Murong Hao straightened up, his gaze falling on Murong Yuan's face, and his heart sank slightly.

The emperor looked even worse than he had during the day.

His face was pale with a hint of ashen gray, his eyes were sunken, and his lips were bloodless.

"Father, you..."

"Let's go inside and talk."

Murong Yuan interrupted him and stepped into the study.

Murong Hao quickly followed and personally served Murong Yuan a cup of hot tea.

Murong Yuan took the teacup but did not drink it. He simply held it in his hands, feeling the warmth emanating from the cup.

"I've come tonight to tell you a few things."

Murong Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he said quickly.

"Father, please speak."

Murong Yuan raised his head and looked at his son with a complicated expression.

"I'm afraid my body won't last much longer."

Murong Hao suddenly looked up, his expression changing drastically.

"Father!"

"Wait, let me finish."

Murong Yuan raised his hand to stop him, his voice calm to the point of being indifferent.

"The hidden injuries in my body have been worsening over the past few years. The Imperial Medical Academy is helpless. The Grand Master has also said that unless I break through to the Grandmaster level, my time will come in the next few years."

Murong Hao looked worried and somewhat at a loss.

"I've come tonight to tell you—"

He took a deep breath.

"I am going into seclusion."

Murong Hao was stunned.

"I will take advantage of the last breath I have to strive to become a Grandmaster."

"If successful, my hidden injuries can be healed, my blood and energy can be restored, and my lifespan can be extended."

"At that time, I will be able to suppress everything, and those petty villains can be wiped out with a flick of my hand."

Murong Yuan paused, his voice lowering slightly.

"If we fail..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Murong Hao understood.

If we fail, we will perish.

"Father..."

Don't make that face.

Murong Yuan waved his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"I am the emperor, and also a warrior."

"A warrior should die on the path of charging forward, not lying cowardly in bed waiting to die."

He stood up, walked to Murong Hao, took out an ancient tiger tally from his sleeve, and handed it over.

"This is the military tally."

Murong Hao's pupils contracted sharply, and he subconsciously took a step back.

"Father, your son—"

"Take it."

Murong Yuan's voice left no room for doubt as he shoved the military tally into Murong Hao's hand.

"During my seclusion, you will oversee the country and have full authority to handle state affairs."

"The Imperial Guards, border troops, and local garrisons are all at your command."

Murong Hao held the heavy military tally, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Father, what virtue or ability do I possess...?"

"If I say you are worthy, then you are worthy."

Murong Yuan interrupted him and patted him on the shoulder.

"You are my son, the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty."

"Go ahead and do it. Don't be afraid of offending people or making enemies."

"If I successfully emerge from this prefecture, everything will be fine."

"If I fail..."

He paused, his gaze deep.

"Offering sacrifices to the esteemed one will ensure the survival of the Great Qian Dynasty."

Murong Hao suddenly looked up.

"The Lady of the Palace..."

"The Empress promised me that if I were gone, she would continue to protect the Great Qian until the next emperor grows up."

Murong Yuan's voice was calm, but a hint of weariness flashed in his eyes.

"So just go for it."

"Do whatever you want, kill whoever you want."

"No need to endure it anymore."

Murong Hao held the military tally, knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed to the ground, his voice choked with emotion.

"Your subject... obeys the decree."

The Marquis of Zhenbei's residence.

Luo Hanyi's breathing gradually calmed down, but the flush on her cheeks had not yet faded, and her forehead was still covered with fine beads of sweat, with a few strands of hair sticking to her temples.

She leaned against Wang Long's left shoulder, her eyes closed, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and the rhythm of her chest rising and falling gradually slowed down.

"Wang Long!"

Luo Hanyi opened her eyes.

"I feel that the bottleneck is loosening."

Wang Long looked down at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

"Is the First Madam about to break through?"

Luo Hanyi nodded, sat up straight from Wang Long's embrace, and reached out to tidy her disheveled hair, revealing her aloof and ethereal face.

"continue!"

Qin Minglan leaned on Wang Long's right shoulder, and upon hearing this, she suddenly opened her eyes, her almond-shaped eyes filled with shock.

"Sister-in-law, again?!"

Her voice had changed, filled with obvious fatigue and disbelief.

"We've been here... for several hours already, it's almost dawn..."

As Qin Minglan spoke, she rubbed her waist, her face full of resentment.

Although she was a peak third-grade martial artist, she couldn't withstand such torment.

Luo Hanyi glanced at her, her gaze calm.

"Minglan, haven't you felt your cultivation level weakening as well?"

Qin Minglan was stunned for a moment, then closed her eyes to feel the spiritual energy within her body.

She suddenly opened her eyes, her almond-shaped eyes filled with surprise.

"real!"

She sensed it too!

"A breakthrough is just around the corner!"

Luo Hanyi's voice carried an undeniable authority.

He turned to look at Wang Long, his expression worried.

"Are you... still able to hold on?"

Wang Long grinned and patted his chest.

"Don't worry, Madam. This old man can still fight you for another three hundred rounds."

How can a man say he can't do it?

He rubbed his lower back and gritted his teeth, saying, "This concerns the safety of the Marquis's mansion."

If you're not going to die from exhaustion, then train like crazy!

Qin Minglan couldn't help but roll her eyes and mutter something.

"boast."

Wang Long pretended not to hear, reached out and stroked Qin Minglan's face, speaking softly.

"Young Miss, let's continue without further ado."

Qin Minglan's face flushed again, but she refused to admit defeat.

"Bring it on! I'm not going to lose to you!"

It is said that there is no land that is over-cultivated, only oxen that are worked to death.

Qin Minglan was sore all over, but Wang Long was still full of energy.

She refused to believe that she and her sister-in-law couldn't handle Wang Long!