Chapter 493: That person died!

Mu Yumo felt a sense of relief.

Finally, he left!

"Dad, is there anything special about this whistle? Could it give us a clue to find the National Teacher?" Mu Yumo asked Gu Rongjin.

Gu Rongjin: "It can only confirm that Xiao Yang is indeed correct."

After all these years, Xiao Yang might not want them to find him.

"He's gone, back home."

"Oh."

Only after Gu Rongjin and the others walked far away did a figure appear on the third floor of the tavern behind them.

Yang Jianyu silently apologized to the deceased and said farewell.

If it weren't for his drinking mistake, he probably wouldn't have caused this trouble.

Over the years, some things have remained unchanged, while others have changed.

He used to not drink, but now he's gotten into trouble because of drinking.

He, too, is old.

When turning the corner, Gu Rongjin inexplicably looked back.

He gazed into the distance, vague and indistinct.

"What's wrong, Dad? What are you looking at?" Mu Yumo asked.

"Nothing, let's go. Your mother and sister have been waiting a while." Gu Rongjin patted his son's shoulder.

They returned to the Grand General Manor, and Gu Yutong eagerly went up to ask: "Where are the people? How were they dealt with? You guys seem to be in decent spirits."

"We let them go." Gu Rongjin said.

"Let them go?!" Gu Yutong exclaimed in shock, "Why?"

"Ask your brother."

"Brother! You're clueless! You've been bewitched by this kind of trash?! How can you still be swayed by such a lowly face after getting used to Mom's and my beauty?!" Gu Yutong simply couldn't believe it.

Mu Yumo was speechless: "Don't get upset first, listen to me explain slowly."

"Right, Xiao Tong, listen to your brother explain slowly." Mu Yuanzhi naturally trusted her son's judgment.

Thus, Mu Yumo walked and recounted the whole day's events from beginning to end to Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Yutong.

Mu Yuanzhi was more concerned about the National Teacher: "Really can't find the National Teacher?"

"Only this whistle remains as a keepsake." Gu Rongjin fiddled with the whistle in his hand.

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't help but feel regret: "After all these years without seeing him, he hasn't come to look for us."

"He has his own ideas; maybe he actually came secretly, hid and peeked at us?" Gu Rongjin laughed.

Gu Yutong had never seen the National Teacher, so she naturally felt nothing; she cared more about those two siblings.

"But letting them go, aren't you afraid of letting the tiger return to the mountain? You're too hasty; you should give them some tracking gu, or some gu to prevent them from causing trouble!" Gu Yutong said.

"Don't worry, little sis, trust your brother!" Mu Yumo assured.

"Trust you? You've brought bad people around and still expect trust?" Gu Yutong scoffed.

"Me!" Mu Yumo couldn't refute, "My judgment of people is a bit off."

"Not even a bit inherited from our dad!"

Mu Yuanzhi: "Only inherited to me..."

"Mom, daughter doesn't mean that!" Gu Yutong hurriedly explained.

Gu Rongjin: "No problem, suffering a loss makes you sharper. Alright, let's go get a late-night snack, I'm hungry!"

Upon hearing there was food to eat, Mu Yumo and Gu Yutong's eyes lit up!

"Older brother, how exactly were you deceived by that woman?" Gu Yutong, walking behind, asked her elder brother.

"Just an ordinary military doctor recruiter; she came to apply, her medical skills are superb, I had no reason not to take her." Mu Yumo said.

Gu Yutong chuckled: "So what? You can't tell she's pretending? I could tell at a glance something was off."

"You're impressive; I need to learn from you properly."

"You really ought to study well; being bewitched by beauty is dangerous, General Mu!"

"I said it's not about beauty! Don't always think that of me!"

"Hopefully not."

The two siblings bickered all the way, while Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin up front exchanged smiles, truly a pair of lively treasures, arguing since childhood, the more they argue the better their feelings.

This matter thus came to a close; the Son of Heaven no longer inquired, he believed the Gu family father and son would handle it well, no need for him to worry, and the Gu father and son indeed handled it well, Jingcheng remained peaceful, with no gossip spreading.

Mu Yumo's triumphant return brought honor to the Great Zhou again, his might shook overseas; the Son of Heaven enfeoffed Mu Yumo as Grand General, making him the youngest Grand General since the founding of the Great Zhou!

Mu Yuanzhi was greatly relieved; her fine son finally brought glory to the gate and revived the Mu Clan!

The next morning she went early to the ancestral tombs to offer sacrifices, telling her father and mother this great joy.

"Mom!"

Mu Yumo arrived shortly after.

"Mom, you came to see Grandpa and Grandma but didn't tell me, bringing this Grand General to show them!"

Because the two siblings have different surnames, Gu Rongjin simply had them call them Grandpa and Grandma instead of maternal grandparents, to avoid trouble.

"You don't have to go to court today?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

"Didn't I say? His Majesty specially approved that I can rest at home for a few days."

"You didn't say that."

"That was me forgetting." Mu Yumo scratched his face.

"Alright, come quickly so Grandpa and Grandma can see how talented their good grandson is!" Mu Yuanzhi laughed, pulling Mu Yumo to the tombstone where her parents are buried together.

Mu Yumo solemnly clasped his hands: "Grandparents, Xiao Mo has grown up and become promising, I've become a Grand General, bringing continued glory to our Mu family; you in heaven need not worry, I, my sister, and Father will take good care of Mother!"

Mu Yuanzhi felt a myriad of emotions, unable to resist reaching out to ruffle her son's head.

Her son had grown so tall that she had to stand on tiptoe to reach the top of his head.

"By the way, grandparents, Xiao Tong has become a Vice Director of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau; she's also very capable, though just a bit behind me, no worries—she'll catch up soon!"

"You child, how can you belittle your sister?" Mu Yuanzhi said speechlessly, patting Gu Yutong.

Mu Yumo chuckled: "I'm just stating the facts."

"I'll go tell your sister to beat you up."

"Oh no, Mother, you can't go tattling!"

"All right, stop showing off in front of your grandparents, let's go back—it's windy here." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Hmm!" Mu Yumo made a motion to take off his own cloak: "Mother, are you cold? Shall I give you my cloak?"

"Not cold, I have my own; keep yours, don't let yourself freeze."

Mu Yuanzhi had taken only a few steps when she stopped.

Because someone was blocking the way ahead.

"Prince Zhuang, you being here is probably no coincidence?" Upon seeing Pei Shangjue, Mu Yumo's expression turned unpleasant.

He had grown up and now fully understood the grudges and grievances between his family and those old royal houses.

"I have something I want to tell your mother." After saying that, Pei Shangjue looked toward Mu Yuanzhi and said: "My father has passed away, just a few days ago."

Mu Yuanzhi felt a long-dormant stirring in her heart.

That person is dead.

He also lived long enough.

Past events have all become blurred; even if they surge into her mind, they at most stir up a few ripples, quickly settling into calm.

"Accept my condolences, Prince Zhuang." Mu Yuanzhi said lightly.