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Several days had passed without any significant events occurring. However, peace in the imperial harem was always fleeting. The weather was gloomy, as if it might collapse at any moment, and the air felt heavy. Mo Xiao Li was reviewing memorials in Wan Yue Pavilion when he began to hear shouts coming from outside. Frowning, he looked over, and Li Fusheng quickly went out to gather information.
Before long, Li Fusheng returned and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, General Mu requests an audience."
Upon hearing this, Mo Xiao Li raised his eyes with a hint of confusion flashing across his face, but then he smirked mockingly, leaving the person opposite him puzzled. He then said, "Let him in."
After a moment, General Mu entered under Li Fusheng's guidance. As soon as he stepped inside, he knelt on the ground and looked at Mo Xiao Li with a sorrowful expression that made it difficult to discern his true thoughts. "Your Majesty, please punish me for my offenses," he said while performing a deep bow.
"Oh? Is that so? I wonder what great offense you have committed, Mu Aiqing?" Mo Xiao Li replied with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, half amused.
A flicker of doubt crossed General Mu's eyes before he continued, "Your Majesty, it is my failure as a father that has brought shame upon Western Yan through my daughter. If you must punish someone, let it be me."
Mo Xiao Li immediately understood the purpose of his visit and stood up straight. Looking at him, he said, "So it's about this matter. I haven't taken it to heart; it's just a trivial issue."
General Mu stared intently at Mo Xiao Li, hoping to glean something from his expression, but was disappointed; there was nothing in Mo Xiao Li's eyes—only indifference.
General Mu continued, "Your Majesty, although the Empress has committed many wrongs, the Little Prince has done nothing wrong. Is it fair to treat him this way? I have heard that the Little Prince has fallen ill several times there. If this continues, one day the Little Prince will..."
He did not finish his sentence, but he understood that Mo Xiao Li was aware of everything. Sure enough, Mo Xiao Li's expression changed slightly. Regardless of whose child this was, at least this child was his own. Due to various reasons in the past, he had refused to hear any news about the Little Prince but had not expected so many things to happen there. He felt a pang of sympathy but did not show it on his face.
General Mu naturally understood what Mo Xiao Li was thinking and continued speaking: "We believe that there are very few royal heirs in the harem now. If we cannot protect the Little Prince well, there may be problems in the future. Therefore, I came here today hoping that Your Majesty could pardon the Little Prince's offenses. After all, he has done nothing wrong in this matter; why should we make things difficult for a child?"
Mo Xiao Li listened silently until General Mu finished speaking. He understood this reasoning as well but felt some resistance toward this child for reasons unknown to him. Every time he thought of him, it felt as if his heart was being torn open again, releasing those painful truths once more. He feared that he would lose control over his inner hatred. Turning to look coldly at the wall behind him, he said, "You need not worry about this matter; I understand it well enough. If there is nothing else, you may leave." With that, he turned as if to walk away.
However, General Mu did not give him this opportunity and hurriedly spoke up, "Your Majesty, you must think twice. The Little Prince is still young; if he contracts any illness, you will surely regret it later. Now that he has lost his mother, can you really bear to watch him die there?"
The words spoken this time were somewhat heavy. If one did not understand General Mu's character, they might have been swayed by his argument, as everyone knew the importance of this matter.
Mo Xiao Li, who had originally taken a step forward, paused and then looked at him in silence for a moment before saying, "Then what do you think I should do?"
General Mu quickly clasped his hands and replied, "In response to Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, you should bring the Little Prince back. He is still young; with proper education, he will surely become a great talent in the future. Your Majesty must think carefully."
Hearing this, Mo Xiao Li walked up to General Mu with a smile and said, "I never expected that General Mu is now so concerned for me. Is this the purpose of your visit to Auspicious Palace?"
Listening to Mo Xiao Li's teasing tone, General Mu momentarily lost his focus. It had been a long time since he had seen such an emperor. A hint of doubt arose in his heart; he felt that the current emperor was becoming increasingly difficult to grasp. In the past, regardless of the outcome, the emperor would have agreed to his requests. However, this time he repeatedly avoided the essence of the matter and spoke of other things instead.
But after all these years in office, he understood the intricacies involved. Moreover, having watched the emperor grow up over the years, he cleared his throat and was about to speak when a sudden rumble of thunder came from outside the window, causing a palace maid to scream in fright.
Mo Xiao Li looked out at the sky and said directly, "General Mu, what do you think of today's weather?"
This question seemed out of nowhere and was hard to refuse. General Mu could only clasp his hands respectfully and reply, "In response to Your Majesty, today's weather was originally quite good; however, June's weather is notoriously unpredictable, so it has changed now."
"Indeed, you are correct. If we all do not care about such weather, do you think there will be other changes?" Mo Xiao Li continued to ask.
General Mu furrowed his brows tighter upon hearing this and was momentarily at a loss for how to respond. He could only look at him helplessly until he finally heard Mo Xiao Li casually say, "June's weather is indeed very changeable. However, mastering such weather isn't too difficult; it all depends on whether one understands the principles involved. That way, one can judge what the weather will be like. Don't you agree?"
General Mu did not respond but listened as Mo Xiao Li continued, "As for future matters, I have my own plans. If General Mu finds himself with nothing to do, I cannot guarantee what the weather will be like. Therefore, what I want to say is that you should take advantage of good weather to do something meaningful; otherwise, when the weather changes, you won't be able to do anything at all."
General Mu listened to his words while wiping the sweat from his forehead. For some reason today, he felt that the Emperor before him was different from usual, as if there was an invisible pressure weighing on his thoughts. General Mu took a deep breath and nodded, then respectfully clasped his hands and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."
With that, he left without looking back.
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