C29

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When the sky was just starting to brighten, Lu Zi Nuo woke up because of thirst. The candle flame was about to go out, and was trying to flicker the last bit of the warm candle, she got up to pour some water, but discovered that the light outside had already been lit up. He thought that Di Xian was still awake, so she walked out barefooted.

The one seated outside was Mu Rong Chun, but just as he turned around, he had already finished washing up and was holding onto a scroll as he studied hard. His expression was focused, his eyes lowered, his long eyelashes drooping slightly, and through the candlelight that extended like two small fans, they were spread out on his fair skin. The candle flame was enveloped by the lamp, just like his own person. It lost its original somewhat dazzling brightness and became cold and peerless.

When he thought about what Mu Rong Yuan said to him at King Yong Palace during dinner, Lu Zi Nuo's gaze became more sorrowful and she actually wasn't reading a book, but recalling the scene from yesterday.

The assassin was still brought before the emperor. Unexpectedly, the assassin said he stabbed the wrong person, disappointing his master's hopes. The assassin looked at Mu Rong Chun with a determined and crafty smile.

His heart suddenly sank as he saw the, who had served His Majesty for many years, present a thin piece of paper to his side. Without even looking, Mu Rong Chun knew that this was the assassin's confession. When he had met his master, he already had some sort of plan.

When the assassin swallowed the poison hidden behind his teeth and struggled to crawl towards him, he had already quickly prepared a draft. The assassin's fresh blood snaked all the way through the hall. After being soaked in fresh blood, the carpet made from bright red silk and gold seemed to become increasingly red. That red color seemed to be a potent poison that exploded in his mind and repeatedly churned.

When the Emperor called him over, he only knelt down. The hall seemed to be too quiet, so quiet that it made him feel flustered.

Mu Rong Chun had always been calm and collected, but he had forgotten about the person who had ascended to the throne. Ever since his youth experienced Xue Lin's chaos, he had seen many deceitful and bloody battles, and in the end, held great power. Just now, his old man's weakness seemed to be just a reflexive defense, and he faintly smiled at this eldest grandson of his.

"I just want to ask you a question." Seeing that Mu Rong Chun did not say anything, he smiled in satisfaction, and the old internal service passed a thin piece of paper to Mu Rong Chun, and then left. As an old man in the palace, he had never avoided the matters of the imperial family.

Mu Rong Chun looked at the piece of paper in his hand. His fingertips were slightly cold and trembling.

His Majesty only paused for a moment, before sending the coronet off to the wedding ceremony. At this moment, his head was down, and every single piece of jade grass was polished until it was round, making it hard for one to imagine the look they would have when picking them out from the stone. Looking through the droplets at the slowly growing youth, he suddenly smiled, but his eyes, like two sharp swords, shot out in that instant.

"How much do you trust the people around you?"

He believed that these two words were very strange. They could be very firm, but they could also be very weak. Mu Rong Chun never thought that the Royal Grandfather would ask such a question. At first, he did not know how to answer, but after thinking about it more, these words suddenly enlightened him, and his thoughts extended towards a direction that the two could not see.

Mu Rong Chun's thoughts raced, if someone wanted to frame him, then who told him when and where he would go? It must be the person beside him, but who was that person? He thought back and forth. Almost everyone he could trust was an old man who had been by his side for some time. He thought back now, as if he could recall the look in their eyes.

Although Mu Rong Chun's mind was spinning, his face was still slightly pale, his long eyelashes preponderantly blocking the emotions in his eyes. However, his hand that was hidden inside his wide sleeves had clenched into a fist, and his knuckles had turned white.

No one wanted to doubt him, but when the truth was right in front of his eyes, he felt that everyone was suspicious. Mu Rong Chun frowned, and felt a bit of regret that couldn't be seen. The trust that he had once had collapsed …

His Majesty was still silent. He sat high up on the dragon carved wooden chair, his right hand caressing a golden dragon carved on the armrest, he had caressed it countless times, although his eyes had become blurry from age, he could imagine the appearance of the dragon, just like how he could easily imagine Mu Rong Chun's expression.

His Majesty was a little upset and a little fearful, but he didn't want to show it easily. He suddenly laughed silently, with the playfulness of an old man.

After all these years, he had grown older and older. Even though he had adopted his eldest son, Mu Rong Song, as his crown prince, Mu Rong Song's body was simply too weak. However, he was more clear than anyone else about the current situation in the Dacheng. The successor he chose for the Dacheng not only could only be benevolent, he could also be more resolute and heartless than ordinary people.

His Majesty did not make things difficult for Mu Rong Chun. Instead, he gave him a gunpowder and planted a suspicious seed. The feeling of not being able to trust anyone made him feel extremely uncomfortable, but doubt surged through him like a tide. Like water, it flooded his mouth and nose. The words that used to express their loyalty were like ropes, tightly wrapping around him and pulling him into the water.

How much do you trust the people around you? A bit of believing is the equivalent of putting yourself in danger.

At this moment, Mu Rong Chun was trapped in such a dilemma. Could he really believe the people around him?

The soft rustling of clothes woke Mu Rong Chun from his contemplation. There had never been such an inexplicable panic before at the bottom of his heart, and he began to be suspicious. What was previously certain was broken by that simple question.

When Lu Zi Nuo wanted to retract his gaze, he saw Mu Rong Chun raise his head and look right into her eyes. There wasn't enough time to retract his gaze, as Mu Rong Chun had already seen the sorrow in his eyes.

This tinge of compassion pierced Mu Rong Chun's eyes and heart like a thorn. What he needed was not pity, but confidence in his power. He was so angry and unreconciled that he creased his eyebrows, but swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

In his eyes, Lu Zi Nuo was wearing a robe that he got from Mu Rong Yuan. It was a bit big, but on his body, it looked like a Taoist robe.

She closed her eyes sadly and looked at him again. Her hair was tied up and a few strands were scattered around her shoulders. His hair was extremely fine, and a soft black light snaked into his collar. It was as if it would make anyone's eyes bulge out and see it. Everyone who looked at it would feel their heart tremble. This was the second time Lu Zi Nuo had been moved since he disguised himself as a woman. Mu Rong Chun immediately retracted his gaze and said coldly: "Sit."