Minister Mu stood in the center of the great hall, his throat choked with emotion, unable to utter a single word under the watchful gaze of everyone present.

At this moment, North Lord Wen Feng, who had been observing the commotion, suddenly let out a cold laugh and spoke with apparent interest, “The Holy Maiden of South Court Nation and the Prime Minister of Western Yuan Nation—how fascinating!”

The atmosphere in the hall grew tense.

“This old minister suddenly recalls something, though I’m unsure whether I should speak of it.” From among the officials, Old General Qin finally could not help but open his mouth.

The Western Bright Emperor’s face turned ashen, estimating that after today’s farce, Prince Ye’s enthronement ceremony would have to be rescheduled.

“Your Majesty, do you perhaps remember that twenty years ago, this Holy Maiden envoy also visited our Western Yuan Nation? At that time, the one who received her was none other than Minister Mu.”

“So, some of the things the Fifth Princess mentioned today might not be entirely false.”

Hearing Old General Qin’s words, the Western Bright Emperor carefully recalled, and after a while, indeed remembered that such an event had occurred.

Among the seated officials, numerous voices now emerged—

…

…

“Yes, I remember there was such an incident. At that time, the Holy Maiden envoy came to the Western Yuan Nation as a guest alongside the South Court ruler.”

“I remember as well. Minister Mu was responsible for planning the reception of the South Court people.”

“Could it be that these two really…”

Mu Yunjin’s expression grew increasingly cold. Although this matter didn’t cause much emotional turmoil for her, she clearly understood the current situation. If Minister Mu acknowledged this matter before the court, the Mu family would be finished, Jiang Qingxue would be doomed, and she would be implicated, possibly even affecting Chu Li.

The person behind Chu Qingqiang this time was truly powerful!

They had directly severed the connection between Minister Mu’s household and Prince Ning’s manor into fragments.

“Report!” A guard hurriedly ran in from outside.

“What is it?” the Western Bright Emperor asked, displeased.

“Your Majesty, someone claiming to be the Grand Commandant of South Court Nation is requesting an audience at the palace gates,” the guard reported.

The Western Bright Emperor was startled. “Bring him in at once!”

Upon hearing that someone from South Court Nation had arrived, a wave of whispers spread through the hall, mostly carrying an air of anticipation for drama.

Jiang Qingxue sat in her chair, her gaze empty, her eyes filled with resolution.

Soon, several people entered the great hall. Leading them was an elderly man nearly sixty years of age, with a snow-white beard and solemn features. One look was enough to know he was an extremely serious person.

“This old minister is Mo Jinglun, Grand Commandant of South Court Nation.” After introducing himself, the South Court Grand Commandant bowed deeply to the Western Bright Emperor on the throne and to North Lord Wen Feng at the side.

“A few days ago, our ruler received a confidential letter claiming that Holy Maiden Jiang Qingxue had secretly given birth to a child. Our ruler was furious and ordered this old minister to immediately come to Western Yuan Nation to thoroughly investigate this matter.”

After speaking, Mo Jinglun, with a stern expression, looked toward Jiang Qingxue. “Come forward and examine her body.”

At his words, several elderly matrons he had brought approached Jiang Qingxue.

A flash appeared in Jiang Qingxue’s eyes.

“Wait!” Minister Mu, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, his eyes filling with hot tears as memories of years past surfaced in his mind.

Years ago, from the first moment he saw Jiang Qingxue in Western Yuan Nation, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her, but she told him then that her heart already belonged to another.

He had asked her many times who that person was, but she never said.

One day, she suddenly fainted before him. When he called for a physician to treat her, he discovered she had been with child for quite some time. But he knew that as a Holy Maiden, she bore the mission of her country and was not allowed to commit any impure or unchaste acts. Having conceived a child, if word got out, she would certainly face death.

He loved her so deeply then—how could he bear to see her die for this?

Finally, when she awoke from her unconsciousness, he proposed that she give birth to the child, and he would secretly help raise it.

One day, upon learning that Su Biqing was about to give birth, he went to the guest residence where Jiang Qingxue was staying and gave her labor-inducing medicine. That night, though her labor was extremely difficult, she managed to give birth to the child with all her strength. The child was named Yunjin.

At that time, holding the little pink baby girl, he thought how wonderful it would be if she were his child.

The night he brought the child back, he gave the midwife Lin a sum of money to keep the secret that Su Biqing had only given birth to one child.

Initially, he truly treated Mu Yunjin as his child.

But not long after, Su Biqing discovered something amiss and questioned him about where Mu Yunjin had come from. Seeing he couldn’t hide it anymore, he fabricated a story that she was born to him and a woman from another province.

Su Biqing quarreled with him for a long time. Eventually, he promised to place the child in Shihua Pavilion to fend for herself, and also promised to help the then-declining Su family rise again. Only then did Su Biqing relent, suppressing her anger.

As time passed, Yunjin gradually grew up. Yet whenever he tried to get close to her, she always appeared timid and cowardly, without a trace of that person’s characteristics, which made him increasingly angry and increasingly disgusted with this daughter.

Looking back now, all of this was nothing but karmic retribution.

Today in this great hall, long-buried past events were brutally exposed. How could his heart not ache?

In his eyes, Jiang Qingxue had always maintained that most pure and beautiful image. How could he allow those old matrons to examine her body and humiliate her?

After a while, amid complete silence, Minister Mu gently closed his eyes and spoke in a hoarse voice—

“Back then, I forced myself upon Miss Qing while drunk.”

Then, Minister Mu knelt before Jiang Qingxue, bowing deeply and knocking his head once against the ground. He did not immediately rise but said, “All the misfortunes that Miss Qing has suffered began with me. I ask everyone to show mercy to her, who has remained innocent throughout.”

Mu Yunjin frowned as she watched this scene, her nose stinging with emotion as she found herself unable to watch. She knew clearly that Minister Mu was not her biological father.

But how deeply must he love this Jiang Qingxue to take all the blame upon himself?

Such a claim of “remained innocent throughout”!

Anger surged in Mu Yunjin’s heart as she stood up and coldly looked at Jiang Qingxue. “Holy Maiden of South Court, all this happened because of you. Shouldn’t you offer some explanation?”

Jiang Qingxue’s throat constricted, and facing Mu Yunjin’s gaze, she couldn’t utter a single word.

Her daughter—was she hating her?

“No, Yunjin, I have wronged you!” Minister Mu suddenly rose and then turned to the Western Bright Emperor. “This old minister has brought shame to the Western Yuan Nation.”

“I shall atone with my death!”

With these words, before anyone could react, Minister Mu rushed to the side, drew a sword from one of the imperial guards, and slashed it fiercely across his neck—

“Father, no!” Mu Yunjin instinctively cried out.

“Ding—” A silver needle suddenly shot toward Minister Mu’s wrist, causing him pain and making the knife slip from his hand as he collapsed powerlessly to the ground.

The knife had already cut through his neck. As Minister Mu lay on the ground, crimson blood spraying from his neck, Chu Li had already rushed forward and sealed the vital points around his neck.

This sudden turn of events left everyone momentarily unable to react.

Chu Qingqiang watched this scene with a smile, her eyes filled with the satisfaction of revenge.

“Father, Father!” Mu Lingzhu now rushed over, and upon seeing Minister Mu lying unconscious on the ground, her legs went weak. She then approached Mu Yunjin and fiercely grabbed her collar.

“Mu Yunjin, you’re truly a harbinger of misfortune!”

“Get lost!” Chu Li’s sleeve swept out with an internal force that sent Mu Lingzhu flying, then wrapped an arm around Mu Yunjin’s shoulders.

The imperial physician, seated among the officials, had now approached to check Minister Mu’s pulse. After a while, he shook his head with a grim expression and looked at the Mu family members. “You should say your goodbyes properly.”

Minister Mu had cut himself too deeply, severing the tendons in his neck—there was no way to save him.

Mu Yunjin bit her lip hard, feeling for the first time that she couldn’t hold back her tears.

The physician’s words essentially announced that the Mu family had fallen!

And she, a person with no blood relation to the Mu family—

Was the murderer.

Mu Lingzhu was right. She was a harbinger of misfortune; her very existence had harmed an entire family.

Jiang Qingxue had not anticipated this turn of events either. She opened her mouth slightly but couldn’t say a word.

“Qingxue…” At this moment, the dying Minister Mu regained consciousness and beckoned to Jiang Qingxue, who stood nearby.

Jiang Qingxue immediately approached, crouched down, her eyes red. “Liangzheng, I have wronged you…”

“I’m sorry for not properly caring for your daughter all these years, making her suffer many grievances. I have failed your entrustment,” Minister Mu spoke weakly. Even at this moment, with his life ending, he still worried about her feelings.

“All of you, get away!” Mu Lingzhu rushed over, pushed Jiang Qingxue aside, and grabbed Minister Mu’s arm. “Father, what are we to you after all?”

“All these years, what have we been to you!” Mu Lingzhu felt this was perhaps the darkest year of her life.

She had once been the proud First Scholar of Western Yuan Nation, admired by thousands. But now, in less than half a year, she had first lost her mother and was now about to lose her father.

She knew that if Minister Mu died, the Mu household would fall, and there would be no one left in this world to protect her.

But in this moment, at his deathbed, her father thought to bid farewell to that woman first—it was extremely ironic.

Mu Yunhan slowly walked over, looking down at Minister Mu with pressed lips, saying nothing.

“Yunhan, you have completed your mission as well.” Minister Mu coughed a few times and smiled at Mu Yunhan.

Mu Yunhan gave Minister Mu a faint smile.

“I’m leaving…” Minister Mu, finally unable to hold on much longer, let his gaze sweep over all the Mu family members. Remembering the family dinner from a few days ago, he slowly raised the corners of his mouth and closed his eyes.

“Father!” Mu Lingzhu cried out in anguish.

This “I’m leaving” announced the departure of a life.

Almost none of the guests in the hall had anticipated that what should have been a joyous occasion—attending the Crown Prince’s enthronement ceremony—would suddenly transform like this.

The Holy Maiden of South Court had given birth to a child.

Minister Mu had slit his own throat.

The Mu family had fallen.

These successive events were difficult for everyone to process and accept at once.

Mu Yunjin stood to the side, her gaze fixed blankly on the crimson blood flowing from Minister Mu’s neck, as her eyes gradually filled with a deep red…