The words of concern, when they reached Elder Master Ling's ears, sounded as if Feng Jin were deliberately trying to separate father and son. Elder Master Ling’s gaze towards Feng Jin turned even more hostile.
"Mu Zhu, come with me."
Elder Master Ling deliberately avoided Feng Jin, pulling Ling Mu Zhu's hand and leading him behind a pillar to the side.
Feng Jin watched coldly, letting out a humph. See? This is what happens when you bring trouble upon yourself.
She had meant well and tried to do a good deed, only to receive blame instead of any thanks. She felt like a foolish fisherman.
"Father, if you have something to say, just say it. Why must you drag me here?"
"You foolish child, have you been so engrossed in your books that your brain has turned soft, or has that woman fed you some kind of hallucinogenic potion?"
Elder Master Ling reprimanded him, suspecting that the cunning Feng Jin had somehow bewitched his son, turning him into this.
"Father, what are you saying? If not for my elder sister-in-law, I wouldn't even be able to see you. Elder sister-in-law treats me very well. Please, Father, stop slandering her."
Hearing his father disparage his elder sister-in-law, Ling Mu Zhu felt a flicker of displeasure.
He didn’t know how deep his father’s resentment towards his elder sister-in-law ran. For an elder to constantly badmouth his elder sister-in-law, poisoning his ears with her supposed faults.
Did his father truly wish for him to fall out with his elder sister-in-law to be happy? Did he want to cause chaos within the Ling family before he would be satisfied?
"Mu Zhu, you... you’re not even listening to your father now."
"What Father says is right, I will naturally listen. Father, time is pressing, so please speak quickly. I need to leave soon."
Elder Master Ling noticed the fleeting displeasure in Ling Mu Zhu's eyes and stopped arguing with him, quickly moving on to the important matter.
"Mu Zhu, after you leave, go and see the Third Prince. Inform him of my current predicament. Keep this token of mine close. If the Third Prince requires anything, you will act on my behalf to assist him."
He had been worrying about how to contact the Third Prince from his confinement, and now Mu Zhu had arrived. It was as if heaven itself was assisting him. With their father and son working together, what great endeavor could they not achieve?
Ling Mu Zhu looked at Elder Master Ling in shock. Upon seeing the token in his hand, he involuntarily took a step back.
"Mu Zhu, you... what's wrong?" Elder Master Ling suddenly grew anxious, his son's gaze towards him being too unfamiliar.
Ling Mu Zhu let out a cold, self-mocking laugh. "I had hoped to persuade Father to turn back, but I never expected him to be so misguided."
"Misguided? Everything I'm doing is for you, for the future of the second branch of the family, and for the entire Ling family. It's an open secret that the Third Prince is set to become the Crown Prince. Now, the only way is to align ourselves with him at the earliest opportunity. Once he ascends the throne, he will surely entrust important positions to the Ling family."
"You are too young to understand these matters, and Father does not blame you. When you are older, you will naturally understand my intentions. Mu Zhu, you are my only son. Everything Father does is for your future."
His second branch of the family was in a weaker position, and he only had Mu Zhu as his son. He had to plan carefully for Mu Zhu's sake.
Only by taking the entire Ling family’s influence to pledge allegiance to the Third Prince now would they be rewarded with important positions after the Third Prince's ascension. Mu Zhu's future would then be secured.
"Father, please stop being so misguided. Have you completely disregarded the ancestral laws of the Ling family? And how can you be so certain that the Third Prince will become the Crown Prince? If the Third Prince does not become Crown Prince, how will the new emperor deal with us? Have you ever considered these possibilities!"
"Furthermore, I don't need you to pave the way for me like this. I will obtain official positions through the imperial examinations through proper means. And my aspiration is not to remain in the capital. My aspiration is to be an official for the people in a region, protecting them."
Ling Mu Zhu openly expressed his thoughts, hoping to convince his father to change his ways.
"What, you... you want to serve as an official in a remote area? How can that be? The conditions are harsh there. You grew up in the capital, protected by your parents. How can you endure such hardship? Mu Zhu, rest assured, Father will plan for you and secure a position for you in the capital. You absolutely will not be sent to a remote area."
As long as he could secure a good official position for Mu Zhu in the capital, Mu Zhu would not be thinking of serving in remote areas.
"Father, my mind is made up. I decided to participate in the imperial examinations precisely because I wish to serve in a remote area. Father, please don't try to find an official position for me in the capital anymore. I will not be staying in the capital."
He was tired of the schemes and intrigues within the capital. His heart longed to serve in a remote area and witness the world's myriad of happenings.
"You... you scoundrel!"
'Slap!'
Elder Master Ling, filled with disappointment, struck Ling Mu Zhu hard across the face. The sharp sound of the slap echoed throughout the ancestral hall.
After delivering the blow, Elder Master Ling instantly regretted it. Looking at his hand, still raised, Elder Master Ling wished he could undo his impulsive action.
From childhood, he had never even spoken a harsh word to Ling Mu Zhu, let alone hit him.
"Mu Zhu, I... I was just impulsive. Please don't resent... resent your father..." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The stinging pain on his cheek served as a stark reminder to Ling Mu Zhu of the slap he had just received.
"What is Father saying? I understand your good intentions, but these are not what my heart desires. Father, please turn back from this path. Do not remain so misguided."
"I am taking this token, Father, but I will not give it to the Third Prince. I will seek out Grandfather and request that you remain here in the ancestral hall until the Crown Prince is officially established and the situation is settled. Then, I will release you."
Ling Mu Zhu took the token, his heart resolute. His father was too deeply entrenched in his obsession. If he were released, he would undoubtedly continue to contact the Third Prince. Keeping his father confined in the ancestral hall was the best course of action.
"What did you say? I am your biological father! If you do this, it is utter treason! You unfilial son!"
He could never have imagined that one day his own son would intend to imprison him.
"This son is unfilial, but for the sake of the entire Ling family, and for Father's safety, this son can only be unfilial. Please rest assured, Father. Once the Crown Prince is established, I will personally apologize to you and ask you to leave the ancestral hall."
Ling Mu Zhu bowed deeply to Elder Master Ling three times, then stood up and turned away without hesitation.
It was only then that Elder Master Ling truly panicked. He felt as though he was about to lose his son, and the conviction he had held so firmly began to waver.
After a moment of daze, he hurried to rise and chase after Ling Mu Zhu's retreating figure, but he was ultimately too slow. The ancestral hall door was firmly shut.