Chapter 139: True Heart (Part I)

In Qin Suwen's view, since Fang Xu trusted her so deeply, why should she let him down? Thinking of this, Qin Suwen lazily stretched her body.

Then, with a solemn gaze, she looked at the memorials piled beside her hand, a trace of an elusive, bitter smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Fortunately, I have you to help me shoulder this burden, otherwise I truly wouldn't know what to do," Qin Suwen murmured to herself as if in a soliloquy.

Meanwhile, back in Danyang Commandery, Murong Bai had returned to his own estate.

Although Murong Bai and Murong Fu were close cousins, to put it bluntly, Murong Bai did not belong to the direct lineage of the family. Therefore, Murong Fu mostly treated Murong Bai like a servant to be ordered around—or perhaps a higher-class servant at best. Did Murong Bai not know this himself?

Of course he knew, but what could he possibly say? In Murong Bai's own view, he could only choose to endure these unfair treatments. Just because he was not of the direct Murong lineage, he felt none of this really mattered. After all, how could he possibly change such a reality? He still had only choice: to smile obsequiously and try to please Murong Fu.

Yet, when had Murong Fu ever treated him like a human being? Not to mention a human, Murong Fu didn't even take him seriously at all!

At this thought, Murong Bai clenched the cup of warmed wine in his hand, his eyes complex as he looked at his wife resting quietly on the bed.

Who could have guessed that Murong Bai was already a married man with a household of his own? Yet Fang Xu had managed to have Old Wu investigate these very details clearly.正是因为方旭调查了慕容白的底细之后，方旭也就明白慕容白定然是会选择站在自己这边的。

It was precisely because Fang Xu had looked into Murong Bai's background that he understood Murong Bai would inevitably choose to stand on his side. Why was Fang Xu so certain? Naturally, because Murong Bai loved his wife deeply. However, Murong Fu held no regard for Murong Bai whatsoever, and upon noticing that Murong Bai's wife possessed striking good looks, he had even harbored malicious intentions toward her.

This was the exact reason why Murong Bai appeared so loyal to Murong Fu on the surface, while deep down, he wished nothing more than for Murong Fu to drop dead.

Picking up the cup of wine that had already grown cold, Murong Bai seemed unaware of it and drank it down in one gulp!

Even though he had met Fang Xu and understood what Fang Xu intended to do, Murong Bai still felt a lack of confidence in his heart. After all, the Murong family's heritage spanned several hundred years—who could possibly hope to shake such a foundation?

A dynasty lasts for a hundred years, but powerful local clans endure for a thousand.

Were these mere empty words? Thinking of this, Murong Bai wished to consult his wife for her opinion. But when he used the dim candlelight to catch sight of the bruises on his wife's face and wrists, Murong Bai clenched his teeth so hard that he suppressed the roar threatening to break from his throat.

How could Murong Bai not know how those injuries came to be? A crazed notion blossomed within his heart.

"Fang Xu! Regardless of whether your identity is true or false! As long as you can overthrow Murong Fu, my life is yours!" Murong Bai muttered internally, completely unaware that he had crushed the teacup in his hand.

The shattered porcelain pierced into Murong Bai's plump, fair palm. Did he not feel the pain? Of course he did! But compared to the agony within his heart, what did this physical pain amount to?

Having made his decision, Murong Bai turned his thoughts elsewhere. Back at the Commandery Governor's Office, Zhang贺 sat in a daze within the main hall.

For some reason, the hall was unusually quiet tonight.

The old steward filled a cup of warm wine for Zhang贺 to help him ward off the chill, and Zhang贺 looked at the old steward standing beside him with mild curiosity. He was clearly wondering why the hall was so dead quiet tonight. Under normal circumstances, when he returned home, the hall should have been bustling with activity.

The old steward shifted his gaze, not knowing what to say, but Zhang贺 sensed that something must have happened. Urged by Zhang贺's repeated questioning, the old steward finally revealed the reason for the silence.

It turned out that after Zhang贺 was summoned to the ancient temple by Fang Xu, someone had leaked the news that Zhang贺 had offended Murong Fu. Upon hearing this, the servants and maids immediately packed their bags and fled the Danyang Commandery Governor's Office, terrified that if they left too slowly, Murong Fu's men would surround the place and cut off any chance of escape.

The departure of the servants and maids was understandable; after all, they were merely hired help earning a wage and had no reason to risk their lives. But what truly broke Zhang贺's heart was the behavior of his concubines. Upon learning that he had offended Murong Fu, they had decisively stripped away all the valuable ornaments and fled, thoroughly betraying him.

Only his lawful wife had chosen to stay behind, leaving Zhang贺 in a dazed state of disbelief.

Could Murong Fu truly be this terrifying? No matter what, he was still the Governor of Danyang! The head of an entire commandery! Yet the reality before his eyes forced him to accept the truth.

Looking curiously at the old steward, Zhang贺 seemed to be asking why he hadn't chosen to leave as well.

The old steward wore a weathered expression. In his eyes, he was already a man with one foot in the grave, with very few days left. If not for Zhang贺's heavy patronage, he might have passed away long ago without anyone noticing. Therefore, why should he care about his own life and death?

Hearing the old steward's words, a bitter smile touched Zhang贺's lips—a smile mingled with profound self-mockery.

Was it not so? He had always believed that those around him were reliable people. Yet when a crisis struck, he realized it was simply his own blindness that had prevented him from seeing their true nature.

At that moment, Zhang贺 felt as though all his strength had been drained from his body. He couldn't help asking the old steward what kind of person he used to be. For some reason, he desperately wanted to know what he was like in the past and what had blinded his eyes to reality.

Hearing the question, a knowing smile appeared on the old steward's face.

"In the past, My Lord, you were a person who cherished the people as if they were your own children and treated them like close friends. But I do not know when it started—My Lord began to see only profits in everything, and forgot your original aspiration," the old steward said with a gentle smile.

"My original aspiration? What was my original aspiration?" Zhang贺 murmured blankly, his eyes unfocused.

The old steward said nothing more. After all, he understood that what Zhang贺 needed right now was to be left alone in silence, to reflect deeply upon what his original aspiration truly was.