Chapter 322

It truly took over two months for Yueqian and her family to reach the Hu Region. As soon as they arrived, chaos was evident. The Hu Region had strict checks on those entering and leaving, with soldiers patrolling around as if it were wartime.

Upon seeing people from the Bai Region arrive, even with verifiable invitation cards, they still inspected everything Yueqian had brought in the procession. All weapons were confiscated, leaving the soldiers unarmed and bare.

"That’s my sword. How can you take it? I won’t allow it." Jing Ziyang shouted in protest when his sword was suddenly confiscated.

This sword had always given him peace of mind. Ziyang had never trained in close combat or hand-to-hand fighting alone, so being deprived of his sword made him feel terrible.

"If you don’t comply, you can’t enter," a soldier barked loudly, unafraid. Ziyang was so startled by the soldier’s demeanor that he stepped back.

Xihao lightly touched him to help him relax. The little one fearlessly faced the adult.

"What if something happens... who will protect us?" Xihao asked. Were they not here as honored guests? So why were they being treated like beggars trying to enter the Hu Region?!

"What’s going on?" Mu Heng rode up and asked when he saw his son seemingly being bullied.

"This kid refuses to hand over his weapon for inspection. If he doesn’t comply, he can’t enter. It’s the rule." When the soldier saw My Heng, he continued to scold him. The young man had already felt displeased, but coming here was to visit the Hu Region, so he couldn’t show disrespect.

"Xihao, don’t be afraid. They will inspect the weapons and return them to us at the reception manor," Mu Heng reassured his son, though his hands clenched tightly to suppress his anger.

Unlike Yueqian, she didn’t even care about the weapon confiscation. After all, her combat skills didn’t rely on weapons in the first place. Besides, they couldn’t detect her weapons anyway, unless they had the power to inspect her dimension.

"What’s happening here? We are here to receive the medical team from the Bai Region. I heard they were arriving today," a loud voice called from the entrance. The two soldiers guarding the gate quickly saluted.

"Royal Physician, the people from the Bai Region have arrived, but they refuse to hand over their weapons willingly, causing some minor issues," one soldier explained. The Royal Physician frowned and asked coldly.

"Did you confiscate the weapons of our guests?"

"T-This was a direct order from the Crown Prince. If we don’t comply..." The soldier stammered, knowing how significant and powerful Master Ma was, despite not being a Royal Physician himself.

"Hah! The Crown Prince, is it? He’s scared stiff, yet letting the enemy in before being afraid—is that correct?" The old man scoffed derisively.

"Since you are performing your duty, inspect the weapons and return them as quickly as possible, as per the protocol for welcoming foreign envoys! Otherwise, if anything happens, I will report directly to the Emperor," the representative Ma, who was well-acquainted, stated firmly. The soldiers trembled but quickly complied, knowing Representative Ma’s threats were never empty.

After dealing with his own men, he turned to Yueqian and the others. He gave her a friendly smile and directly apologized.

"I’m sorry you had to experience such a welcome. Recently, there have been significant issues in the Hu Region. If we don’t take precautions, and something like this happens again, it will truly become a serious problem," he explained solemnly.

"But now that you have just arrived, I will lead you to your accommodations first," said the kind Representative Ma, whom Yueqian had once saved. He offered to guide her himself.

Seeing his brighter demeanor, Yueqian felt happy for him. Even though she didn’t ask, Representative Ma eventually began to recount what had happened as they settled in the reception manor and shared tea together.

The children were sent to rest, exhausted from months of travel. Only Mu Heng, Yueqian, and Ma remained, sipping tea together.

"From the last time Furen Mu spoke about the poisoning incident, it turns out that my secondary wife executed it flawlessly," he said, his eyes reflecting a hint of sadness.

"She claimed I was too weak. By obeying my parents and taking in another wife, I had wronged her. Thus, she sought to protect herself and her son, believing I was useless."

"She poisoned me, my mother, and even my entire bloodline. She did it all mercilessly! My mother cooked for me every day for the past 3-4 years because she was suspicious about my food. She would wake up early, not allowing anyone else to cook first, and inspected every step. Despite her fatigue, she did it all for me."

"But I was so ungrateful, constantly doubting her. I saw a lotus as a trap and sharp thorns as beautiful flowers. I thought the most trustworthy person was the second wife I loved and cherished. In the end, she was the one who betrayed me."

"My foolishness led to my eldest son becoming weak, caused the innocent principal wife to die, and even made my birth mother’s health decline rapidly."

"Furen Mu, you are luckier than my second wife because you married as the main wife. And now, it’s still a time when Deputy General Mu doesn’t have many concubines or secondary wives. But believe me... the more power you have, the more pressure you will face. Soon, your husband may have to bring another woman into the household. When that day comes... I hope you trust your husband more."

" compassion, remember the love you once had, and think of the days when you had nothing but were still happy together. Power and wealth aren’t that important, you know?"

"When you start making mistakes, when you begin to hurt the ones you love who love you dearly, you will end up suffering yourself! On the day my beloved second wife had to die, her eyes looked like a demon’s. Even in death, she couldn’t close her eyes. I... felt immense pity for her. She once had such grace, but now she was completely different."

"Don’t become like that," Representative Ma shared his own story with a heavy heart. He believed his experience could serve as a lesson for others. He didn’t want such sorrowful events to occur again.

However, Mu Heng, sitting nearby, said something that worsened Representative Ma’s already downcast feelings.

"Your wife was right. You are indeed weak."

"Dear," Yueqian gently reprimanded him. After all, Representative Ma had already suffered so much, and he had a heart condition. Pressuring him too much could lead to something disastrous.

"You think she was right?" However, Representative Ma ignored Yueqian, looking sharply at Mu Heng.

"Yes. If it were me... I wouldn’t let the delicate hands of the furen I love get stained. I would handle the deaths of others myself and let my wife live comfortably in our manor," Mu Heng said seriously.

In truth, Representative Ma should have felt deeply saddened, but seeing Mu Heng’s demeanor, he paused before a faint smile appeared.

"Is that so? It could really be done that way?" Representative Ma’s eyes reddened.

If he had chosen to defy his parents and not brought someone else into their home, his beloved wouldn’t have been bullied, right? Or if he had been as strong as Mu Heng, even if other women came into the household, he could have dealt with them himself, leaving only his beloved to live happily. In that case, she wouldn’t have had to become a demon to protect herself, right?

"Representative Ma, that’s all in the past. You don’t have to hold on to the pain. I believe you still have many responsibilities. Your two sons are innocent, so you should focus on fulfilling your duties," Yueqian comforted him, trying to uplift his spirits.

"I understand, Furen Mu. I understand very well. Otherwise, I would have followed her to the afterlife the day she drank poison to kill herself," Representative Ma forced a smile.

Hearing his sorrowful story, Yueqian could only sigh. Representative Ma had faced so many hardships; he truly was pitiable.

"By the way, is your eldest son still ill? Should I take a look at him?"

"Hmm? The royal physician checks on him regularly. His body has been weak since childhood. But maybe even you... Ah, no! Actually, yes. I think it would be good if you could examine him," Representative Ma initially wanted to refuse, believing the results would be the same. However, upon reconsideration, his eyes lit up with hope.

Perhaps even the illness his son suffered from could be cured by her. Could his eldest son also receive help?

"That’s great. Then I’ll check on him tomorrow."

"Tomorrow won’t be possible. I think you’ll be occupied with the royal physicians all day," Representative Ma laughed as he recalled the matter. Ever since Yueqian managed to stabilize his heart condition, the royal physicians who learned of it were thrilled. Each one of them wanted to meet her.

Some, still skeptical, even wanted to challenge her. They organized a medical competition specifically for talented youth, ranging from children to those up to 40 years old, including Furen Mu.

The Emperor approved and announced he would personally attend as a witness of this competition. He also invited representatives from nearby regions to join, turning it into a grand event.

"I heard the competition is set for tomorrow. You must participate and win, just as I boasted about you," Representative Ma said, laughing heartily.

"A competition?"

"Yes, it was initially organized to welcome you. But the Emperor saw it as a great event and invited people from everywhere. The competition is divided into three parts."

"First is the potion-making contest. Ingredients are provided, and you draw lots to determine what potion to make. It’s timed, and the fastest to create the potion wins. Second is the debate contest, with seven judges. They pose questions, and whoever raises their hand first gets to answer. The one with the most points wins the round. There are three rounds: morning, noon, and evening."

"The third contest involves diagnosing a condition based on a topic written on the board. Participants must then provide treatment methods. Some of the conditions have no known cure, making this the most challenging of the three competitions."

"I think the heart condition you treated will be listed as well. Even if you don’t want to participate, you must. This event was designed specifically for you from the start. So tomorrow, I believe you won’t have any time to rest."

Representative Ma explained everything to her, and Yueqian could only sigh. It seemed the Hu Region had high expectations of her. If she participated tomorrow and didn’t answer any questions, would anyone criticize her?