Chapter 19: Mutant Born in Battle

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  In the late afternoon, the gate of the Qin's mansion was wide open, and three carriages came out with a festive atmosphere. The entire Qin family, including their eldest son Qin Tong and second son Qin Bin, who had already set up their own households, all arrived and got into the carriages to head to the Wu King's mansion for dinner.

  Qin Mubai wore a magnificent brocade robe with purple and blue embroidery, with a silver hairpin on her head, and sat in the same carriage as her mother and sister, chatting happily along the way.

  Suddenly, the horses and carriages stopped. The crowd heard a voice.

  "Could it be the carriage of General Qin Shubao, Duke of Wing State?"

  Qin Mubai rolled down the car window and took a look. There was a man riding a horse beside the road, bowing his head to ask questions. Qin Shubo, who was sitting in the front seat of the car, had already gotten out of the car and was preparing to respond.

  "Who is this? How impolite! Liang'er, go take a look." Liu said displeased.

  Qin Mubai got off the car and walked forward. He saw a middle-aged man in his forties, who was taking Qin Shubo to one side and whispering something to him. Qin Shubo's head was much higher than his, and he was leaning sideways with a serious expression on his face.

  "Father, what's going on?" Qin Mu Bai stepped forward and asked. The two elder brothers also got off the carriage together and inquired at the same time.

  "Nothing more needs to be said, turn the horse's head and return to the mansion!" Qin Shubao waved his hand and threw down this sentence, then leaned on his cane and walked towards the carriage.

  Face turned blue!

  "What's going on?!" Qin Mubai was shocked and didn't understand.

  Elder brother Qin Tong obviously knew the man and stepped forward with his hands clasped together inquiring: "Mr. Ge, what's going on here?"

  "Alas, I have already informed the Duke of Wing about the whole situation. You'd better go back and ask your respected father... This matter is not suitable for discussion on the street, be cautious with your words, be cautious with your words." After saying that, he cupped his hands in a farewell gesture, mounted his horse, whipped it into a gallop, and disappeared into the dust.

  "This is getting weird!" The three brothers looked at each other in confusion.

  "What are you still standing there for? Get in the carriage and return to the mansion!" Qin Shubao's stern shout came from inside the carriage, and the three brothers didn't dare say another word, so they returned to the carriage.

  Liu and Shuang'er were shocked and pulled Qin Mu Bai to ask what was going on, but Qin Mu Bai could only shake his head, with a faint feeling that something was wrong.

  Returning to the mansion, Qin Shubao walked straight back to his room without a word, ordering the servants in the mansion to close the main gate and summoning Qin Mubai alone to his own room.

  "Dad, what's going on?"

  "Hmph!" Qin Shu Bao was clearly extremely annoyed and furious, took a deep breath, glared at Qin Mu Bai with anger in his eyes and said in a low voice, "Good job you've done!"

  "What's going on?" Qin Mu Bai's heart tightened as he asked again.

  "Do you know that person just now?" Qin Mu Bai said.

  "The child doesn't recognize him, but Big Brother seems to, his surname is Gai." Qin Murong replied.

  "He was called Gaiwenda, one of the eighteen scholars of the Qin Wangfu. If it weren't for his close relationship with my father, today's disaster would have been even greater!" Qin Shubao rebuked sternly.

  Qin Mubai took a deep breath and calmly said, "Dad, don't get angry and hurt your body. Let's calm down first and slowly tell me the whole story."

  "Alright, things are ultimately because of you, and I must make you understand!" Qin Shubao gritted his teeth, his sword-like eyebrows standing upright, with a sharp glint in his eyes. He spoke in a low voice, "Since the Empress Dowager passed away, the Emperor has been melancholic and unhappy. The high-ranking officials in the court have been thinking of ways to get the Emperor to take on a new consort to alleviate his grief over losing his wife. More than a year ago, when Wu Shiyou passed away, the imperial court sent Gai Wenda to pay condolences, and he saw that Wu Erniang. This time, he spoke to the Emperor, saying that Wu Shiyou had a beautiful second daughter who was stunningly beautiful. As a result, the Emperor first posthumously promoted Wu Shiyou to be a third-rank official, bestowed wealth and property on the Wu family, and allowed the Wu family to return to the capital to live under special imperial decree. Do you understand now?"

  Qin Mu's eyebrows furrowed: "According to Father's words, this Wu Zhao is actually a beauty chosen by the Emperor himself? And yet, the people of the Wu family don't even know about it?"

  "Not bad. But the thing is, no one knows except for the Emperor and Ge Wenda, so how did you know why Ge Wenda suddenly appeared to block our way?"

  "I don't know."

  "That's because he just received the Emperor's edict today, to go to the Duke of Guo's residence to proclaim the edict, formally announcing Wu Zetian's entry into the palace — and then, he found out about what you and the King of Wu did today!"

  "It turns out that's the case, such a coincidence, and it just so happens we were half a day early!" Qin Mubai nodded solemnly: Li Shimin is indeed reliable in handling matters. To say nothing of the fact that Wu Shi was also forced out of court by him back then. Using an award to smooth things over, letting the Wu family people first thank the emperor's great kindness, and only then would they willingly send their daughter into the palace... But what's infuriating is that if Li Shimin had just made it clear at Jingzhou, directly issuing an edict summoning her to the palace, or even if he had sent Gai Wenda a day earlier to transmit the edict, wouldn't this whole mess have been avoided?

  There are so many fragrant grasses in the world, why must they be seized by the emperor's hand? ... This is truly shocking to hear.

  "What are you waiting for? Grind the ink!" Qin Shubao's stern rebuke broke Qin Mubai's meditation.

  "What does Father want to do?" Qin Mu Bai asked calmly in return to Qin Shu Bao.

  "What else can we do? Of course, we have to write a petition and beg for mercy from the Emperor! Then tear up that marriage contract that will bring disaster upon us!" Qin Shubao lowered his voice and scolded, "How many brains do you have? How many people are there in our Qin family, can we bear this sin? — The woman appointed by the Emperor's imperial decree, you also dare to touch, well, it's even more daring than your father's courage back then!"

  "No, Father. We can't write this on the top." Qin Mubai was still as calm as water, but it made Qin Shubo a bit stunned.

  "Why?"

  "Father, think about it. If you were to submit this memorial... wouldn't that be making things clear and public, embarrassing the Emperor even more? I'd be going against the Emperor's wishes by taking his woman, regardless of whether I succeed or not, the one who loses face in the end is still the Emperor." Qin Mu Bai said, "If you were to present this memorial, the Emperor might not take action for the time being due to emotional considerations, but it's hard to guarantee that in the future, not just our Qin family will suffer, perhaps even the Wu and Wu Wang families, as well as Ge Wen Da who just reported to you, won't have a good outcome."

  Qin Shu Bao slightly hesitated, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed in deep thought, and slowly nodded: "Not bad, you make sense. As a father, I was momentarily agitated and lost my composure. Having followed the Emperor for many years, I have some understanding of his temperament. This matter concerns the Emperor's privacy, and no matter what, it cannot be made public. The more secretly and low-key we resolve this, the better. The Emperor is a wise and benevolent ruler, with a heart as vast as the ocean. As long as we don't make a big deal out of this and let the Emperor lose face, there's still room for redemption!"

  Qin Mubai's mind was also racing quickly, and soon he figured out some things. He asked: "Father, I've heard some old stories before, I don't know if they're true or false, can you confirm them for me?"

  "Say."

  "Is it true that in the past, when Empress Changsun was still alive, she had intended to select a woman with the surname Zheng to enter the palace and serve the Emperor, but ultimately did not succeed?" Qin Mu Bai asked.

  Qin Shubao's eyebrows twitched: "There is indeed such a thing... You said that, and today Wu Zhaos situation is somewhat similar to that of the woman. At that time, it was Empress who heard that Zheng Renji had a clever and wise daughter, intending to bring her into the palace to serve the Emperor. The Emperor also agreed and issued an edict to establish Zheng as one of the nine concubines, Chongrong. The court had already sent out the betrothal gifts, and even the wedding arrangements were made, just waiting for the auspicious day to arrive before marrying her into the palace. As a result, at this time, rumors spread among the people that Zheng Renji's daughter had been engaged to the Lu family since childhood. Wei Zheng heard about this matter and stirred up a storm on the court. In fact, the Emperor initially did not know about the marriage contract between Zhengs daughter and the Lu family. Later, the Emperor took Weis advice and gave up marrying Zheng Renjis daughter. This matter was notorious at the time, and also earned the Emperor many good names for being just and law-abiding."

  A faint, inexplicable smile appeared on Qin Mu Bai's face. The matter that Father had just explained in detail was something he had only seen a little of on TV and didn't remember too clearly. Now that it was confirmed, he had a plan.

  "Father, since there is a precedent, we don't have to be afraid of anything now," Qin Mu Bai said. "As the saying goes, ignorance is no sin. At first, I didn't know that Wu Mei Niang was the emperor's designated beauty, and the Wu family themselves never mentioned it. Since they are unmarried and from a matching social status, marrying off sons and daughters is a normal human relationship, and there is nothing to criticize."

  "It's easy for you to say that." Qin Shubao snorted, saying, "As a father in this humble abode, I'll say something that may not be pleasant to hear. The Emperor has a special fondness for women. He's always been the one to take other men's wives, but no one has ever taken a woman from him. Although he is a wise ruler, he is still a man. Which man would willingly give up his beloved concubine to someone else?"

  "My father's words are indeed correct, and I also understand this principle," said Qin Mubai. "But since the matter has already occurred, it is useless to indulge in regret and fear. At present, we must first think of a way to escape punishment, one that can pass muster under both law and morality. As for the emperor's private grievances, we will find a way to make amends later."

  "You little scoundrel, you've gotten us into big trouble and yet you're still so calm..." Qin Shubao didn't know whether to praise or scold him, his sword-like eyebrows furrowed in inquiry, "So what do you think we should do?"

  "Do nothing and wait."

  "What?"

  "Not bad," said Qin Mu Bai, "We won't go to the Wu Wang Fu banquet or petition the Emperor for forgiveness. We'll just wait like this and give the initiative to the Emperor. Give him some time to think clearly and make a decision."

  Qin Shubao stood up, clasped his hands behind his back and paced a few steps before suddenly saying: "Are you going to let our entire Qin family wait with bated breath for you?"

  "There is risk, of course... but Father, trust me. Nothing will happen." Qin Mu Bai said, "Put yourself in the emperor's shoes and think about it - would he incur the crime of stealing someone's wife and slaughtering his meritorious officials for just one woman? The imperial harem has countless beauties, all chosen by him. But among the twelve noble families of the Qin clan, only our family remains in the great Tang dynasty. Comparing the two, which is lighter and which is heavier? Moreover, it was we who formed an alliance with the Wu family first, with both sides willing and with Prince Wu acting as matchmaker - this passes muster under both law and morality. I believe that with the emperor's wisdom, combined with the lesson of Zheng's daughter, he will certainly make the wisest choice."

  "So tell me, what choice will the Emperor make?" Obviously, Qin Shubao was moved by Qin Mubai's reasonable and emotional words.

  "It's better to be generous and do a favor, showing the emperor's kindness is as vast as the sea. The emperor's heart is as broad as the ocean." Qin Mu Bai smiled slightly and said calmly.

  "Hmm... The analysis is indeed reasonable. Given the Emperor's personality, it's possible that he would act in such a way." Qin Uncle Treasure said thoughtfully, "However, there's one thing that's intangible, and that's the knot in his heart. You snatched away the Emperor's woman with your sword, even if he doesn't blame you on the surface, who knows if he's secretly keeping an account of it in his heart? Liang'er, from now on, a sharp sword is hanging over your head. Unless you don't make any mistakes... otherwise, past and present accounts will be settled together, and disaster will befall your entire family!"

  "The child will be fine. Father can rest assured that the child has a clever plan to dispel the emperor's worries." Qin Mubai said with a smile.

  Qin Shu Bao turned his head, and a pair of eagle-like old eyes cast a fierce light onto Qin Mu Bai's face, his expression changing slightly.

  He thought to himself: This little brat, obviously has more heart and mind than me, a mere martial artist... I have been through countless battles for decades, and all of them were won with ease. But when it comes to being an official and navigating the world, I am far inferior to others, otherwise the Qin family wouldn't be in this state now. This little brat is so clever, cunning and bold, will he bring disaster to our entire family or become a virtuous son who brings glory to the Qin family?

  "Then... let's wait!" Qin Shubao slammed his hand down, making a final decision. His crutch struck the ground with a loud thud, as if he was about to charge into battle like in the old days, using all his energy and spirit.

  The loud noise frightened Qin Tong brothers and Liu's mother and daughter who were waiting outside.

  Only Qin Mubai had a calm and collected expression, as if he were in control of everything. He seemed carefree, like someone who didn't have a worry in the world. When Qin Shubao saw this look on his face, he felt a twinge of annoyance in his heart. But he couldn't think of a better plan than to "wait", so he was anxious and uneasy at heart.

  Nothing happened that night. The Qin family didn't attend any banquet at the Wu King's mansion, and Qin Mubai also stayed home without going out.

  The next day, the gate of the Qin family was opened and the angel arrived.

  The emperor indeed sent someone to deliver an imperial edict!

  Unexpectedly, the Emperor didn't mention a word about selecting Wu Meiniang to enter the palace, instead he lavishly praised Qin Shubao's past achievements and commended Qin Mubai as an outstanding young talent, saying that it would be even better if he were paired with a daughter of the Wu family - and thus betrothed Qin Mubai to Wu Zhao!

  The Qin family is overjoyed and grateful for the emperor's great kindness. The huge stone that had been weighing on everyone's mind has finally fallen to the ground.

  Qin Shubao felt relieved and shook his head with a sigh.

  "I'm no match for this kid!"

  The father and son sat together again.

  "Liang'er, things are as you expected. The Emperor is indeed magnanimous and his benevolence knows no bounds," said Qin Shubao. "However, there's one thing you must understand clearly. Although the Emperor has bestowed Wu Zhaoyi upon you, it doesn't mean that just because he gave her to you, you can truly take her."

  "The child is naturally frugal." Qin Mubai said, "At this time, if I dare to welcome the Wu family's daughter or loudly announce my engagement to her, it would be no different from slapping the emperor in the face. Similarly, since the emperor has generously granted us his favor and opened up his heart with infinite kindness, we should also graciously accept it, allowing him to smoothly step down from this stage and gain popular support and praise. Father, you can write a memorial to thank the emperor now, but be sure not to mention anything related to past events, lest we touch on the emperor's sore spot."

  "Alright!" Qin Shubao let out a deep sigh, "I'm old and useless now. I can only listen to you, you little brat, ordering me around!"

  .??，！