Chapter 241: The Mystery of Parentage

"Bang!"

Just then, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.

Empress Zhangsun walked in, her face deathly pale and her expression listless.

Li Xueyan and Princess Changle followed closely behind, their faces full of tension.

It's over!

Qin Mu's temper was extremely similar to the Empress's.

No one could predict what would happen next.

If a conflict were to break out between the two of them...

And Empress Zhangsun found out! (Please subscribe!)

What would they do then?

"You may leave first."

Qin Mu cast a deep, piercing glance at Empress Zhangsun and had Yu Huatian leave the room first.

The door closed once again.

Inside the room, only Qin Mu, Empress Zhangsun, Li Xueyan, and Princess Changle remained.

The surroundings were deathly quiet.

The sound of everyone's breathing could be heard clearly.

"Empress, is there something you need?"

Qin Mu was the first to speak.

"Something I need?"

"Qin Mu, do you not even have the slightest intention of explaining yourself to me?"

Empress Zhangsun gave a bitter smile, her eyes filled with endless sorrow.

It was not the death of Zhangsun Chong that saddened her.

For such a long time now.

It turned out that this child had never held a place for her in his heart.

Even though she had treated him like her own flesh and blood...

Of course.

Empress Zhangsun knew it clearly in her heart.

Everything she had done was of her own volition.

Qin Mu had never forced her to care for him.

He had even left the choice of staying or leaving entirely up to her.

But human hearts are made of flesh.

Empress Zhangsun truly could not control the sorrow in her heart.

"Zhangsun Chong violated the laws of Great Qin and attempted to assassinate the sovereign of Great Qin; he deserved to be executed. Empress, you are a woman of great understanding, so I assume you wanted me to explain why I didn't kill Zhangsun Chong sooner, is that it?"

Qin Mu said with calm indifference.

"You!"

Empress Zhangsun was so angry her pretty face turned crimson, her chest heaving violently.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Empress Zhangsun fell into a fit of coughing, more violent than any she had experienced before.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

Li Xueyan and Princess Changle hurriedly patted Empress Zhangsun's back.

Qin Mu's eyes shifted slightly, a flash of strange light crossing his gaze, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Huhu..."

"Mother is fine." Empress Zhangsun gasped for air, looked back at Qin Mu, and said, "I intend to visit my brother. Qin Mu, that is allowed, isn't it?"

"Empress, please do as you wish."

Qin Mu nodded without hesitation.

He had always been this way.

Everyone was free to come and go.

"None of you follow me."

Empress Zhangsun said nothing more, bit her lip, stood up with great effort, and walked out the door.

Just as she reached the doorway.

Empress Zhangsun could no longer suppress the pain, and with a "wah," she spat out a large mouthful of blood. She hurriedly looked left and right, and seeing no one around, she quickly cleaned up the bloodstains and hurried away from the inn.

Less than ten miles east of Jiannan Dao.

In a remote frontier town.

Empress Zhangsun arrived in a rush.

After a short while.

She found a residence, paused at the door for a moment, and then gathered her courage to walk inside.

This was Zhangsun Wuji's temporary lodging.

In the courtyard.

Zhangsun Wuji sat on the ground, listless, holding a blood-stained garment in his hands.

This was the clothing Zhangsun Chong had been wearing when he died.

"Brother..."

Empress Zhangsun walked slowly behind Zhangsun Wuji and called out softly.

Hearing his sister's voice, Zhangsun Wuji's body trembled, but he ultimately did not turn around.

"Brother, give up! Do not set yourself against Qin Mu anymore; you cannot defeat him." Seeing that Zhangsun Wuji had no reaction at all, Empress Zhangsun began to speak to herself.

She truly wanted Zhangsun Wuji not to be foolish.

For such a long time now.

Had anyone who opposed Qin Mu ever met a good end?

The Emperor, the Zhangsun family, the entire Great Tang, and even the monarchs of the Turks, Tuyuhun, and Tibet.

Which of these people were not formidable heroes who looked down upon the world?

Yet what was their outcome?

Were they not either dead or imprisoned?

Those lucky enough could only linger on in cages.

Those not so lucky, like Fuyun and Zhangsun Chong, might not even have a complete corpse left.

If they continued to fight like this, Empress Zhangsun feared it would truly lead to a river of blood.

"Give up?"

"Hehehe!"

Zhangsun Wuji laughed grimly.

How laughable!

"Do you think that if I give up, Qin Mu will not exterminate us all?"

"Sister, you have been by his side for so long; do you still not understand the kind of person he is?"

"He is the most ruthless and cold-blooded person in this world! Once you offend him, there is no second path to survival other than death!"

Zhangsun Wuji shook his head and said.

Empress Zhangsun opened her mouth, thought for a long time, but still had nothing to say.

It was true!

Could anyone who offended Qin Mu survive?

Given his personality, even if Zhangsun Wuji were to kneel before him right now and kowtow 100 times, he would remain completely unmoved.

That child's personality was just like that!