Chapter 319

The next day, news of Mu Heng’s outstanding performance spread throughout the capital. People saw the vast number of prisoners of war he brought back to the region. Many began to call him the "Great General" from that point onward. This led to a shift in the actions of many officials.

Initially, many supported the Hui family, but seeing Mu Heng’s accomplishments, which were considered "in a league of their own," many began to curry favor with him instead. As a result, the Mu manor saw an influx of visitors.

However, the most significant reaction came from the common folk of Bai Region. This was a rare occurrence, as it wasn’t common for the townspeople to hold someone in such high regard. They gathered in front of Mu manor, some to express their gratitude, others just to catch a glimpse of him, and some even brought gifts.

Yueqian could only send a group of people to create shade for them and manage the crowd to prevent any disturbances. Meanwhile, officials entered through the main gate, while the townspeople were kept along the side walls to prevent any confrontations or conflicts.

She now realized how much fear the commoners had felt when they lost their Wang. Seeing that Mu Heng could control the situation and was as capable as their late Wang, Mu Heng had become a new beacon of hope for the people!

While the outside was bustling, the royal palace was equally chaotic.

The sheer number of prisoners was overwhelming, and Mu Heng had not distinguished between them. For instance, a princess of a tribe had been thrown in with common female prisoners. Although it was understandable given the large number of captives, it was difficult to manage them properly. But with these princesses, he had personally thrown them in, which angered the Emperor, who had to step in.

There were also four princes from other cities, along with seven princesses, making them very important prisoners. The Emperor sent the four princes to various palaces for control, and the seven princesses were entrusted to important ministers and nobles. Unfortunately, Mu Heng did not want a royal marriage and refused to take any woman for himself. So instead of alleviating this burden, the Emperor had to take in three concubines into the palace.

He felt that dealing with his older brother, the Wang, was already difficult, but now Mu Heng was proving to be even more challenging!

"Deputy General, you’ve done an excellent job this time. Is there anything you want as a reward?" The Emperor glanced at the remaining three beautiful women, feeling troubled that if Mu Heng didn’t want them, they would all have to become his concubines.

"I don’t need anything, Your Majesty."

"That won’t do. You’ve performed exceptionally well and must be rewarded," the Emperor insisted, hoping Mu Heng would understand. Since he had already announced there would be no royal marriage granted, it would be acceptable if Mu Heng requested it himself, right?

"In that case, may I request the empty land next to the Mu manor?"

"Hmm? What do you want that space for?" The Emperor was slightly surprised by Mu Heng’s request for more land, especially since it wasn’t a significant area.

"My wife enjoys planting vegetables in our manor, so the Mu manor now has no space for relaxation. I’d like that vacant land to create a garden for her. It would be better if it’s adjacent to the manor, allowing us to expand the Mu manor."

Mu Heng explained, his eyes gleaming. This made the Emperor feel a tinge of envy for his peaceful life.

"I see. But your Mu manor is already quite large. Don’t you have too few household members?" the Emperor pressed on, trying to apply some pressure.

"The current members are sufficient, Your Majesty. I don’t want more wives," Mu Heng understood the other party’s intention and decided to speak directly, refusing to let the Emperor pressure him into taking more concubines.

However, the Emperor’s lips curled into a dissatisfied smile. He had captured many prisoners of war but wasn’t helping to manage the problem. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly as he made a decision.

"I understand. Previously, I said I wouldn’t grant you more women. However, this time, I won’t send women into your manor, but men instead."

"There is a royal decree. Due to the deputy general’s exceptional skills and his ability to defeat numerous rebels, it is believed he can take good care of the princes. Two princes, Prince Jing Ziyang and Prince Tang An, are to be entrusted to the deputy general."

Hearing this announcement, Mu Heng froze instantly. He looked at the two princes with their dirty faces. One was Prince Jing Ziyang, who resisted to the end and always looked for opportunities to harm him, resulting in being thrown into the dungeon with his own townsfolk. The other, Prince Tang An, was equally troublesome. One might even believe they were brothers growing up together!

"I won’t go!"

"I don’t want to stay with the villain!"

"Your Majesty, I don’t want to stay with the villain who killed my parents."

"Me neither! I want to kill him!" The two children shouted in protest immediately. Being only 5 and 4 years old, they didn’t understand the situation. They only knew their father had led an army to fight the enemy. After that, he lost, and was killed, making them hate Mu Heng immensely.

"Take the princes to the Mu manor. From now on, I entrust them to you, Deputy General. I trust you." This was a form of retaliation of the Emperor, hoping to cause some chaos in the Mu manor. After all, his wife had already caused him quite a bit of trouble!

Even now, the matter of who poisoned Noble Consort Wei hadn’t been settled! This was the Emperor’s way of paying back for being lured with food only to end up dealing with his own wives.Mu Heng couldn’t do anything about it, nor could he resist the royal decree. So, he led the two children, still in their cages, into the manor!

"Dear, what happened?" Yueqian could not help but ask as she saw her husband storming in with a scowl.

"Papa, Papa," their little child in her arms called out, greeting his father who had just returned from work. Mu Heng’s face softened at once.

He reached out to hold the little one, only a few months old, in his arms. His own son was the cutest, unlike the wild monkey-like boys outside.

"Argh!! Let me go! I’m a prince. How dare you take off my clothes? Do you want to humiliate me?"

" I don’t want it. I won’t wear blue clothes! What kind of weird colors are these?!"

The screams and shouts of the two children echoed from the front. Mu Heng rubbed his temples, ordering his men to catch the two and bathe and dress them anew. Since they were to live in the same manor, he intended to introduce them to Yueqian. Unexpectedly, the two had escaped their baths and ran towards the main house.

"That’s the enemy who killed my father. You must die!"

"Let me help. I’ll kill you!" As soon as the two children saw Mu Heng from afar, they rushed towards him, causing chaos.

Yueqian’s eyebrow twitched involuntarily. If there was anything she disliked most, aside from the Qin family and the former fiancé, it was these pesky... um, mischievous children!

"Who are they?" Her voice turned cold and calm, even causing little Xihao to crane his neck to see the two running children.

"They are war prisoners, Prince Jing Ziyang and Prince Tang An. His Majesty has entrusted them to Mu manor."

"The Emperor?" Yueqian’s eyebrow twitched again, beginning to understand the situation. She could only let out a sigh, realizing the Emperor was indeed very busy. His eldest son, the Crown Prince, had embarrassed himself. Even though Noble Consort Wei was recovering, she needed regular medical check-ups, and there was still the issue of poisoning. Handling all the war prisoners himself would be difficult.

Previously, these duties were managed by the Wang. He had ample space and assigned many tasks to the prisoners, keeping them occupied. Some princes and princesses were given responsibilities to oversee.

The Emperor entrusting these two princes to Mu Heng indicated a significant level of trust, making many people envious. It implied that the Emperor trusted Mu Heng to fulfill the role of a general.

Currently, the position of the great general of Bai Region was still vacant. It wasn’t surprising that people were keen to see who would fill it. Even though Mu Heng had performed excellently, it didn’t mean the young master of the Hui family didn’t have a chance.

However, the Emperor sending the two princes to Mu Heng made the direction clearer for many families. Even the Second Prince’s faction felt pleased. The Second Prince had been given a princess to care for, making her his favored concubine, aiming to garner support from her people. As long as the princess from their city was in the hands of the Second Prince, they had no choice but to support him.

With the Crown Prince just having been punished, no princesses were sent to the palace. Only one minister requested a princess to take care of, and the Emperor had no choice but to comply. This situation created a semi-power structure.

In other words, by entrusting Mu Heng with two princes, it undoubtedly strengthened the Second Prince’s faction! Or, to put it another way, whoever had the Mu family on their side gained the power of two cities and the influence of the deputy general!

"Die!!" While they were lost in their thoughts, the two children rushed forward. Yueqian glanced at the mischievous boys, and Mu Heng effortlessly stopped them with one hand while holding Xihao in the other.

The little baby clapped his hands happily, seemingly admiring his father’s prowess. But his demeanor did not go unnoticed by the two boys.

"You stupid kid! Who are you laughing at?"

"Yeah. Are you looking for trouble? Fine, fight me then. I won’t fight the big guy, but I’ll fight you, little one!" Both pointed at Mu Xihao, who couldn’t even walk yet, and challenged him.

Embarrassed by their inability to defeat Mu Heng, they turned to Xihao. Unbeknownst to them, Xihao’s eyes changed slightly, and a light appeared in them as the atmosphere around him shifted.

Mu Heng, with his keen senses, noticed this and frowned slightly, observing the situation. Unlike him, Yueqian understood what her little Xihao was about to do.Being challenged so directly, would the mischievous Xihao remain still? The chilling aura must be the summoning of spirits!