flstandardbreds Chapter 137 Hostages
Chapter 137 Hostages
Madam Mu patted Shen's hand and said, "With the younger generation here, how can it be your turn to serve me? You should take care of your own health first."
"I'm sorry to have worried you, but I'm fine." Shen didn't take good care of herself during the confinement period after her last pregnancy, so she developed a chronic illness. Adding to that, she was overly worried and had to rely on medicine all year round. She looked lifeless.
Seeing that Shen's face was not good, Mu Qianning asked cautiously: "Aunt, are you feeling unwell again?"
Shen forced a smile: "Aunt is fine."
Several people walked towards the yard while talking. After the Mu family's carriage in front entered the yard, the carriages behind continued to move forward for a while before stopping.
*
The Mu family was a simple family, with Madam Mu and her granddaughter living with her son and his family. As for the former servants of the Mu family, they had all been dismissed when Mu Heng was demoted fifteen years ago.
Madam Mu's husband was also a general, who died on the battlefield for thirty years, which is why Mu Heng went to war at the age of fifteen. They had only one son and one daughter. Their son Mu Heng married Shen and had three sons.
Mu Xiner, the daughter, is 8 years younger than Mu Heng. When she was , she married Xu Huaizhou, who was the newly crowned top scholar at the time. Although Mu Xiner failed to get pregnant for three years after their marriage, the Xu family never complained about their daughter's faults in public, nor did they mention adoption or concubines. Old Madam Mu was very pleased about this and felt that her daughter had married the right person.
Unexpectedly, something happened to the Mu family later. The son-in-law's family was afraid of being implicated, so they used this as an excuse to divorce Mu Xiner. What was even more ironic was that the day after his daughter was divorced, Xu Huaizhou brought back the woman he had hidden away outside, who was holding a two-year-old boy in her arms...
Such a sudden change was a bolt from the blue for Mu Xiner. She hanged herself with a white silk scarf the very night she learned the truth. Fortunately, her family members found her in time, rescued her, and tried to persuade her.
Later, Mu Xiner found out that she was pregnant. For the sake of the child in her belly, she finally gave up the idea of suicide. She just became depressed all day long and had no interest in anything, like a walking corpse.
After the family spent a few months peacefully, Mu Xiner gave birth to a daughter and named her Mu Qianning. When Mu Qianning was less than three years old, Mu Xiner died of depression.
*
The family went into the living room to rest. Chu picked up the teapot on the table and said, "I'll go make a pot of tea." Then she turned and left the living room and walked towards the kitchen at the back.
Shen looked at her daughter-in-law's lonely back and couldn't help but frown. She sighed and said to her son, "Xingchen, what on earth is it about Chu that makes you unhappy? Chu is in charge of everything in our family. She doesn't despise our family's situation and resolutely married into our family. She also followed us to escape to the border town. Isn't that enough to prove her feelings? Can't you be nicer to her?"
Mu Xingchen lowered his head and said nothing, allowing his mother to scold him.
It was not his wish to marry Chu, but he just obeyed his parents' orders and matchmaker's words and got married and started a family because he had reached the age.
He had never met Chu before, and he only saw her appearance for the first time when she lifted her veil. It was no exaggeration to say that they were strangers, so how could he talk about liking or not?
However, since the two of them had already gotten married, Mu Xingchen would not shirk the responsibilities that should be taken on, so they had a period of time where they treated each other with respect. However, later on, Chu was always suspicious of him and inexplicably jealous, thinking that he had another woman in his heart, so she had to marry her.
The more suspicious she was, the more Mu Xingchen wanted to stay away from her. As a result, their relationship became what it is now.
Seeing her son not speaking, Shen immediately became angry. Just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted by her mother-in-law, "Okay, okay, let them deal with it slowly. You should stop worrying."
Madam Mu definitely did not say this to help her grandson. She was afraid that Shen would get angry and get hurt. Shen's body was already weak, and she couldn't afford to get angry again.
Shen sighed helplessly. She also knew that outsiders had no say in the couple's affairs, but she just felt sorry for her daughter-in-law Chu. She herself had no daughter, and Chu, the daughter-in-law, was her daughter.
Afterwards, Shen's angry eyes fell on the faces of her other two sons. Compared with the eldest son, these two younger ones made her worry more.
"Mom, grandma, I'm tired, so I'm going back to my room first."
"Brother, I'm with you..."
When Mu Jinyang and Mu Yunche saw the look in my eyes, what else did they not understand? She was trying to force them to get married again! They didn't want to get married, and my eldest brother was their lesson!
"stop!"
The two of them stopped at the same time as they stepped out of the door, turned back to look at their mother, "Mom..."
The second son, Mu Jinyang, is already 21 years old this year, and the youngest son, Mu Yunche, is also 19 years old. In Beijing, men of their age have children who are already studying in schools. How can she not be anxious? But they have no plans to start a family!
"Oh, forget it. We just moved here today. Let's not talk about these bad things for now. You can go and choose a room to settle down in." Shen waved her hand with a tired face.
Chu came over with the brewed tea, poured a cup of hot tea for her mother-in-law and great-grandmother, and placed it on the table in front of them. She also poured a cup for Mu Xingchen and handed it to him with both hands.
"Husband?"
Mu Xingchen frowned, but still took it, put it on the table, and said in a muffled voice: "Go and arrange a room for mother and grandmother to rest. I'm going back to the barracks." After that, he got up and left.
Chu: "......" Just left like that? He hadn't even had a sip of tea yet? Tears of grievance filled her eyes unconsciously.
Shen hurried forward to comfort her daughter-in-law, "Men should focus on their careers. Don't be angry with him. I will talk to him later."
"Mom, I'm not angry." Chu swallowed the grievance in her heart, "I'll go and arrange the room. Mom will go back to your room and rest first."
Shen: "...Okay."
Chu turned her head and wiped her tears. Just as she was about to leave, she was stopped by Mu Qianning, "Sister-in-law, I will go with you."
Mu Qianning stepped forward and took Chu's arm, and the two of them went to the backyard together.
......
Ye Ze was still the fourth-rank Zhenwei General of the Vanguard Battalion, and those generals who were captured and were willing to be loyal to Mu Heng were also released. Qian Qianhu, General Wang, General Hu and other generals who had no hope in the court all chose to support Mu Heng.
The emperor values civil officials over military officials, and is very suspicious. They fought desperately in the battlefield, but in the end, their deaths were outweighed by a few words from civil officials. How could this not make these military generals feel disheartened?
Just when Zhao Youliang and his companions were at a loss as to what to do, Ye Ze arrived.
Zhao Youliang, Shouhou, and Goudan immediately felt a backbone. They would beat whoever their son-in-law (the eldest brother) said to beat! They would be loyal to whoever their son-in-law (the eldest brother) said to be loyal to! Is there any need to ask this?
Except for the seventh prince Xiao Qian'an and He Chengfeng who were left in the military camp as hostages, all the other generals, led by Deputy General Qin, who refused to obey were sent back to the capital to report the news to the emperor.
After all, they were comrades who once fought side by side. Next time they meet, they will be enemies. Mu Heng will certainly not be soft on them!
What Ye Ze did not expect was that the officers and soldiers who escorted Deputy General Qin and others back to Beijing were actually the same officers and soldiers who had lost contact after escorting military pay to Fengyang Post Station.
......