Hu Shanwei had given Mu Chun comfort and inspiration. Mu Chun thought to himself: I too must grow my own shell. What bullshit heir to Marquis Xiping – I don’t want it anymore! If I have ability, I’ll earn my own marquis title. If I lack ability… bah, bah, bah – impossible.

Given the heavy pressure from both the Feng and Mu families, my shell must be thicker than Sister Shanwei’s shell. If Sister Shanwei wants to grow a snail shell, then I’ll… grow a turtle shell instead – that thing’s sturdy.

Mu Chun made up his mind, but overlooked that if a person grew a turtle shell, he’d become a living bastard.

So Mu Chun established his aspiration to become a bastard. Meanwhile, at Duke Ying’s mansion, his eldest maternal uncle Feng Cheng had arranged a celebration banquet for his nephew and invited his grand-uncle Duke Song Feng Sheng to attend together.

Feng Cheng originally didn’t like his nephew Mu Chun. Before the campaign, he hadn’t even come to see him off, only ordering a trusted subordinate to deliver his father’s longbow. But unintentionally planting willows had yielded shade – Mu Chun had actually fought ten-to-one and achieved great victory at Strange Stone Ridge. Feng Cheng felt this nephew wasn’t completely spoiled and hadn’t entirely disgraced half the Feng bloodline. This celebration banquet carried intentions of reconciliation with the Mu family.

However, the celebration banquet dishes had grown cold and been reheated three times, yet the host and main guest – father and son Mu Ying and Mu Chun – hadn’t even shown their shadows!

Feng Cheng’s expression soured. Duke Song Feng Sheng comforted him: “Grand-nephew, don’t worry. I’ll send someone to ask what’s happening. The Marquis Xiping’s mansion can’t possibly lack such basic courtesy.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a servant ran in saying: “Someone from the Mu family has arrived.”

The arrival was Mu Ying’s second son Mu Sheng, two years younger than Mu Chun and just fifteen this year. Born to his stepmother Geng Shi, he was the legitimate second son, with grandfather Marquis Changxing Geng Bingwen.

Unlike Mu Chun’s unruly nature, Mu Sheng was taciturn. Whether in appearance or temperament, he extremely resembled Mu Ying in his youth – at fifteen, he was as silent as someone fifty years old.

They were practically carved from the same mold, no wonder Mu Ying favored his second son.

The main figures Mu Ying and Mu Chun hadn’t come – instead came Mu Sheng, whom the Feng family didn’t particularly like.

Now even Duke Song Feng Sheng’s expression darkened: “Why is it you? Where are your father and elder brother?”

Mu Sheng removed his upper garment, baring his torso, and presented a bundle of cane switches: “Elder brother has disappeared. Father is leading people searching everywhere for him. I’m here to bear thorns and plead guilty on behalf of father and elder brother. Please punish me, Uncle and Grand-Uncle.”

According to propriety, Mu Sheng could also call the Feng family members “uncle.”

If Mu Chun had come to bear thorns and plead guilty, Feng Cheng might well have beaten him. But Mu Sheng had no blood relation to the Feng family and was only fifteen years old. Though Feng Cheng was full of anger, he couldn’t quite bring himself to act.

Feng Sheng raised his hand: “Stand up first and speak. Why did your elder brother disappear? He was clearly at the palace banquet last night, and His Majesty was greatly pleased.”

Mu Sheng said: “Elder brother drank too much. When he returned home, he and father had a disagreement and quarreled. Father wanted to beat elder brother, but mother and we children restrained father. Elder brother ran out of the house. We’ve searched all the inns, gambling houses, and taverns in the capital, large and small, but haven’t found elder brother.”

Feng Cheng asked: “Have you searched his fair-weather friends’ homes?”

Mu Sheng said: “It was too late at night to disturb others, but during the day we’ve already searched Duke Weiguo’s Xu family mansion, Duke E’s Chang family mansion, Duke Cao’s Li family mansion, and all the friends elder brother usually associates with. They all said they hadn’t seen elder brother.”

Mu Chun was born noble and associated with no common people, but he wasn’t exactly a proper person either. His fair-weather friends were either wastrels or useless dandies – birds of a feather flock together.

For example, founding general Duke Weiguo Xu Da had two sons: eldest son Xu Huizu and second son Xu Zengshou. Xu Huizu was a famous young general, while Xu Erlang Xu Zengshou was a renowned wastrel in the capital who often frequented gambling houses with Mu Chun.

For example, Duke E Chang Yuchun had three sons. Eldest son Chang Mao and second son Chang Sheng were both brave warriors. Chang Mao had even married Duke Song Feng Sheng’s eldest daughter, making them in-laws with the Feng family – he was properly Mu Chun’s brother-in-law by marriage. But Mu Chun only played with the wastrel Chang Sanlang Chang Sen…

In summary, Mu Chun’s criteria for making friends had never changed – all capital city dandies, enough to form a wastrel alliance.

Mu Chun was like a magnet that only attracted “scrap metal” wastrels, showing no reaction whatsoever to “gold and silver” outstanding individuals.

Those excellent young talents also only liked associating with… his younger brother Mu Sheng.

Duke Song Feng Sheng asked: “Mu Chun serves in the Imperial Guard. Did you search the Imperial Guard offices?”

Mu Sheng replied politely: “This junior just went to ask Lord Mao, the Imperial Guard Commander. Lord Mao said he didn’t know.”

Of course Mao Qiang knew. The Imperial Guard had informants throughout the realm. There were Imperial Guard spies at Taoye Ferry – he had immediately and secretly reported Mu Chun’s whereabouts to Emperor Hongwu and Empress Ma.

The Emperor and Empress favored Mu Chun and naturally knew that when the Feng and Mu families quarreled, Mu Chun would be caught in the middle. So they hinted for Mao Qiang to conceal the information.

Mu Ying continued searching the entire capital for his son, even going to brothels and pleasure boats this time! He thought his seventeen-year-old son might have started seeking comfort from women.

Mu Sheng had no other choice but to come to the Feng family to bear thorns and plead guilty. Neither the Mu nor Feng families imagined that Mu Chun would sleep on the streets like a vagrant and get bitten by mosquitoes until his face swelled like a pig’s head.

They didn’t understand Mu Chun. Mu Chun was someone who would rather squat in the street slurping a bowl of noodles than return home for a meal.

The celebration banquet’s main figures were nowhere to be found. Host Feng Cheng completely lost face. He threw clothes to Mu Sheng and said coldly: “Put these on and bring your father here.”

Mu Sheng was honest: “But father is searching for elder brother. As soon as he finds him, he’ll immediately bring elder brother to the banquet.”

Feng Cheng looked at the table of completely cold dishes, his heart also growing cold: “No need to search anymore. After half a day with no success, he must have fled the city. It’s like fishing for a needle in the ocean – forget it. It’s the same if your father comes. Someone come – prepare a new table of food and wine!”

Add wine, relight lamps, and restart the banquet.

Duke Song Feng Sheng laughed: “That’s right! We’re all family. If everyone steps back a bit, we can sit down harmoniously, drink some wine, and everything will pass.”

Seeing Feng Cheng appear quite sincere, Mu Sheng put on his clothes, mounted his horse, and went to find his father.

About half an hour later, Mu Ying arrived at Duke Ying’s mansion bearing generous gifts.

The table was filled with elders, and Mu Sheng obediently stood to pour wine for everyone.

After three cups, Feng Cheng asked Mu Ying: “Why did you father and son quarrel last night? Mu Chun has fled and is still nowhere to be seen.”

Mu Ying related the father-son argument: “I wasn’t deliberately disparaging his achievements. It’s just that on his first campaign, he was bold enough to use fire attacks. You, I, and Duke Song are all battle-tested veterans. Fire attacks are treacherous – wind direction changes in an instant and can’t be controlled. One must be extremely cautious, especially when relying on rain to extinguish fires. If a battle requires both favorable wind and rain simultaneously, the risk is too great – it could easily destroy one’s entire army. We absolutely cannot let Mu Chun develop this habit of gambling everything on desperate tactics.”

Mu Ying felt he was completely acting out of concern: “While he’s still young, I should give him a sharp warning to wake him up and break this bad habit of relying on luck. Otherwise, he’ll certainly make grave mistakes in the future.”

Upon hearing this, even Duke Song Feng Sheng found it reasonable: “Hmm, on the battlefield, don’t be arrogant or impatient. Make thorough preparations and don’t rely entirely on Heaven’s gifted luck. Luck runs out quickly – strength is true ability.”

After all, he was the maternal uncle. Feng Cheng wasn’t so easily convinced by Mu Ying: “A father teaching his son is natural and right. Your every word makes sense. So why did it come to blows?”

Mu Ying had never shown a good face or spoken kind words to his legitimate eldest son. Mu Chun had developed thick skin and the ability to endure spittle on his face and continue smiling. He couldn’t possibly have left in anger just from a few lectures.

Mu Ying said: “For every word I spoke, he talked back. He wouldn’t listen at all. Helplessly, I had to use my hands.”

Feng Cheng raised his eyebrows: “I had someone deliver the celebration banquet invitation to Marquis Xiping’s mansion yesterday. You clearly knew there was a banquet today – why did you still beat him? Even if you truly had to act, you could have waited until after the celebration banquet, locked him in his room, and properly disciplined him then. You clearly deliberately drove him away, made my celebration banquet impossible to hold, made me lose face, and showed no regard for our Feng family!”

Hit with three big accusations in succession, Mu Ying firmly refused to accept them: “I’m a dignified general of Great Ming – how could my mind be smaller than a needle’s eye? He’s my son and also the Feng family’s nephew. When a nephew visits his maternal uncle’s home, why would I obstruct him in every way? If word got out, wouldn’t people laugh at me?”

Feng Cheng snorted coldly: “Today’s celebration banquet with Mu Chun’s disappearance and failure to attend has already made our Feng family a laughingstock! Mu Chun is mischievous and unruly – when you beat and scolded him before, so be it. When have I, as his uncle, ever said half a word against it? Now he’s narrowly escaped death and won a battle, finally doing something good, yet you still beat and scold him. You curse Mu Chun for taking credit and being arrogant – have you ever reflected on your own failure in teaching your son?”

Mu Ying’s temper flared, and he retorted: “You’re also a father with sons. If your son also took risks using fire attacks like Mu Chun, would you praise him for burning well, burning wonderfully, and doing the same in future battles?”

Feng Cheng slammed the dining table, making all ten plates and bowls tremble: “You still say you didn’t deliberately drive away Mu Chun! Are you here at my Feng family home today to attend a banquet, or to help me discipline my son?”

Seeing trouble brewing, Duke Song Feng Sheng quickly mediated: “We sat down to discuss how to cultivate young Mu Chun into talent. How did the topic shift to others? For Mu Chun’s sake, everyone must stay calm.”

Feng Cheng said: “Fine! Since it’s for Mu Chun, let’s all discuss his future. When does Marquis Xiping plan to request his appointment as heir?”

The table fell silent – this was the most sensitive topic. The accompanying guest Duke Song Feng Sheng couldn’t help showing anticipation.

Mu Ying said: “Based on his current achievements, they’re insufficient for him to assume the position of Marquis Xiping’s heir.”

Feng Cheng smiled: “He’s only seventeen and can already fight such beautiful battles with few defeating many. When you and I were seventeen, we weren’t as good as him.”

Mu Ying found another excuse: “As you said, he’s still young with an unstable temperament and doesn’t understand much.”

Feng Cheng said: “But when you were seventeen, beautiful concubines already served at your side. How is it that Mu Chun doesn’t understand? I think he’s quite good – unruly though he may be, he has restraint, doesn’t cause trouble, and doesn’t act recklessly.”

They say don’t slap faces when hitting people, but Feng Cheng was determined to slap faces. When Mu Ying was seventeen, Feng Cheng’s sister Feng Shi married him. During the newlyweds’ honeymoon period when they were inseparable like glue, Feng Shi discovered that one of Mu Ying’s personal maids was already showing pregnancy.

Clearly, she had conceived before Feng Shi entered the household.

Feng Shi felt like she’d swallowed a fly. In her fury, she ordered the maid to kneel holding a basin as punishment.

The maid miscarried and died that very night.

Mu Ying was furious and nearly divorced his wife for harming his offspring, but because it was an imperial marriage arrangement, he could only endure it. From then on, he coldly neglected Feng Shi. The well-born Feng Shi also disdained pleasing her philandering husband, but when she discovered she was pregnant, the tragedy began…

Having his wounds exposed, Mu Ying’s face turned white with rage: “If Feng Shi hadn’t been so jealous, how would my son have died prematurely?”

Feng Sheng thought: This is bad!

Indeed, Feng Cheng leaped onto the wine table, kicked with his long legs, knocked Mu Ying from his chair to the ground, and repeatedly punched Mu Ying’s face, giving him a thorough beating: “My son, my son? Is Mu Chun no longer your son? My perfectly good sister was lively and cheerful at home, generous to others – how did she become a jealous woman after marrying you? Clearly you’re unworthy of being anyone’s husband, bewitched by beauty!”

Feng Sheng and Mu Sheng hurried to pull Feng Cheng away, but Feng Cheng, with his military background, struck too heavily. Mu Ying’s face had already taken over ten blows and swollen like a pig’s head!

The last time Mu Ying had been beaten into a pig’s head by his brother-in-law was seventeen years ago, when Feng Shi was buried. Mu Chun had just reached his full month, waving his tiny fists in swaddling clothes, crying loudly.