Murong Min smiled gently. "I didn't know the queen had such feelings for me."
The note was filled with the little thoughts of Dugu Luanyue, a young woman's feelings for her husband.
It asked how long it would take for Murong Min to truly love her and stop visiting other concubines. There were also words of admiration for Murong Min, which made him feel elated.
However, being a suspicious man, he darkened his face and asked, "What's the purpose of putting this kind of note here? It's not for praying for safety, wealth, or power."
Su Rou shook her head. "I don't know what's written on the note. The queen just told me to put it here early in the morning.
She said she wanted her heartfelt words to be seen by the deities. She didn't pray for power or anything else.
She just hoped the deities could see her feelings, the feelings of a princess from Southern Chu who was far from her homeland and had only His Majesty as her kin."
Murong Min slowly raised his eyes and looked at the three deities in the main hall. He murmured, "Isn't this the deities showing their divine power? I've seen them."
In the main hall of Fuyue Temple, Murong Min was indeed praying for Dugu Luanyue's safety.
In the side room, Huo Wei was nervously removing the arrow from Dugu Luanyue's arm. Drops of sweat rolled down his cheeks and landed on her arm. His hands trembled uncontrollably.
He used a special technique only used by military doctors on the battlefield. It was extremely risky, but there was no other choice.
Thankfully, the arrowhead was relatively small, which reduced the risk to some extent.
Around dusk, when the arrowhead was finally removed, the blood spurted out and splashed on Huo Wei's face, staining his black pupils.
He quickly reached out to pick up the cotton and pressed it on the bleeding wound. His heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat. If the bleeding couldn't be stopped, Dugu Luanyue would surely die.
Huo Wei was in great agony at this moment. Although this was a scheme, the arrow was shot by his own hand, and he couldn't forgive himself.
Shen Guilan didn't arrive until midnight. She examined the wound and said,
"She's out of danger, but she lost a lot of blood. She needs to rest and recuperate for a long time. She'll be very weak for a while.
I'll take care of the aftermath of the queen's injury. You don't have to worry."
Huo Wei, his clothes soaked in cold sweat, asked, "Does Master know?"
Shen Guilan shook her head. "No."
Huo Wei murmured, "I'll go to the back of the temple to take a look."
His mother, Lu Wanyin, was buried there. Although he had no memory of her, he still felt a pang of sadness when thinking about her.
His master told him that the Xie family was exterminated when he was five, but he had arrived in Jinyang City when he was three.
He was sent to Jinyang City from the imperial capital, which meant he had been raised by his mother for three years and owed her three years of nurturing.
Huo Wei stood in front of the tombstone without any inscriptions and silently kowtowed.
After Dugu Luanyue blocked the arrow for Murong Min, he actually accompanied her in Fuyue Temple for three days before returning to the palace together. He even suspended the court for three days.
This would never have happened in the past.
After returning to the palace, Dugu Luanyue quietly recuperated in the harem, while Murong Min began to doubt what had happened in Fuyue Temple.
Sitting on the dragon throne, he said in a deep voice, "I still find it hard to believe the so - called supernatural story about what happened in Fuyue Temple.
However, one thing is certain. The orphans of Jinyang are still alive. Otherwise, how could there be an assassination attempt?"
Huo Wei lowered his head and said, hiding the look in his eyes, "I think Your Majesty is right. Fortunately, Your Majesty is safe. It's the blessing of the Northern Yan."
Murong Min pondered for a while and suddenly asked him, "Huo Wei, you led the troops that day. You're fully responsible for this incident."
Huo Wei knelt down. "I'm willing to accept the punishment."
However, Murong Min didn't let Huo Wei investigate this matter. Instead, he sent someone else to look into it and began to track down the orphans of Jinyang with all his might.
Huo Wei returned to the Prince of Yuzhang's Mansion alone. As soon as he entered the mansion, He Zhizhou was waiting for him in the pavilion on the hillside of the mansion.
"Huo Wei, you missed another good opportunity in Fuyue Temple.
Last time, Master thought you were just joking, but he didn't expect that you really let the queen go again and again.
Although you don't say a word, Master can guess that you've fallen in love with Murong Min's woman, and she's the legitimate queen.
Oh, it's really fate, fate!"
He Zhizhou's dark - blue robe made him look thin and aloof, and the smile on his slender face seemed even more desolate.
He raised his arm to pour tea from the pot. The more he laughed, the more he sighed, his face full of mockery.
Huo Wei sat down beside his master and asked with a hint of confusion in his voice,
"Since I was a child, Master has only told me about the past in Jinyang City and the blood feud of our family, but never mentioned my mother.
It was only when I went to Fuyue Temple this time that I learned that the tombstone without inscriptions in the back mountain of the temple was for my mother.
Why did Murong Min secretly bury my mother in the temple in the imperial capital? Shouldn't she be buried in the former Jinyang City?"
He Zhizhou recalled that distant time and said with a teasing smile,
"In the past, you were too young, and I didn't want to talk about the emotional affairs of the previous generation. But now that you've grown up, I can tell you.
He took a few sips of the cold tea and said calmly,
"Your mother was imprisoned in Fuyue Temple by Murong Min. You were also born in Fuyue Temple and weren't sent back to Xie Jinyang until you were three.
At that time, your father, Xie Jinyang, was fighting a war outside. He went to Ronghua Prefecture in the west to support the soldiers on the western border and was away for more than three years.
You had been in the general's mansion in Jinyang City for several months before your father returned from the war.
But when he came back, only you were there, and your mother didn't return. The person who sent you back said that your mother was still in the imperial capital."
Huo Wei frowned in confusion. "My father was from Jinyang City, and so was my mother. Why was she in the imperial capital, and in a temple? Why did Murong Min imprison her, and did my father just let him do it?"
He Zhizhou continued, "Yes, they were both natives of Jinyang City.
One year, your father, Xie Jinyang, took your mother, Lu Wanyin, to the imperial banquet in the capital. That year was the year of the crown prince's enfeoffment ceremony, and it was also the year when your father was promoted for his great achievements.
The imperial banquet in the palace that year was extremely grand. The crown prince was none other than Murong Min.
At the banquet, the arrogant and conceited Murong Min took a fancy to Lu Wanyin, the legitimate wife of Xie Jinyang, who had just made great contributions to the Northern Yan.
That night, Xie Jinyang suddenly got drunk and fainted for no reason. Lu Wanyin was taken away from the banquet by the palace servants and sent to the Eastern Palace.
A woman being sent to the Eastern Palace by the crown prince in the middle of the night. You should understand what it means without me explaining."
There was no color left on Huo Wei's face. He crushed the teacup in his palm and said,
"Murong Min is extremely disgusting. How could he treat the family member of a national hero like this? Does he have any sense of propriety?"
He Zhizhou chuckled. "That's why I said it's all fate.
Murong Min defiled the wife of the head of the Xie family and imprisoned her for several years. And now, the only son of Xie Jinyang is involved with Murong Min's new legitimate queen. Isn't this fate?"
Huo Wei suddenly slapped the stone table and stood up. He was as excited as a wild animal trying to break out of its cage.
"No, it's not right!
I arrived in Jinyang City when I was five. Before I was three, I was in the imperial capital and was even born in Fuyue Temple. During that time, my mother was always imprisoned by Murong Min, and then she gave birth to me.
Master, tell me the truth. Whose son am I exactly? Tell me!"