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墨書 Inktalez
Indeed, relying on oneself is the most reliable and useful. Xu Mu silently resolved that he must build his own network in the future, so he wouldn't have to depend on others for certain matters.
Relying on someone else is never as good as relying on oneself; one always has to repay favors. After the results are announced, he should plan carefully.
Fang Yitong leaned closer to Xu Mu and whispered, "With the connections of my the Fang Family, I can't believe we can't find out anything about this guy."
Xu Mu was listening intently, expecting Fang Yitong to share some insider information, but instead, he was given a nudge. Xu Mu's expression darkened instantly, but he quickly realized that Fang Yitong was not referring to his own connections but rather those of the the Fang Family.
Although the the Fang Family might not have as much financial power as the Su Family in the capital, they were certainly not weaker in other respects, especially when it came to gathering information. It was unusual that they couldn't uncover anything about a person.
This suggested that either Mu Zhe was indeed an outsider, as rumored, who had taken on the surname Mu. After all, there was no explicit prohibition against using the royal surname in the capital, but no one would dare adopt it without sufficient courage.
Yet Mu Zhe dared to do so, and it seemed the royal family turned a blind eye. Besides him, no one else dared to use a royal surname in the capital.
If he wasn't an outsider, then his identity must be even more complicated. There’s no wall that doesn’t let the wind through; Mu Zhe had been in the capital for at least five years. In all that time, there hadn’t been any other news about him. Even if he rarely went out, could someone really remain completely unremarkable for five years?
Such a mysterious figure left unchecked by the royal family...
The two of them pondered this and exchanged glances before almost simultaneously saying, "Is he from the royal family?"
However, Xu Mu quickly dismissed this idea. If he were truly from the royal family, why would he hide? That would only make him seem suspicious. The number of royal descendants living in the capital was very few.
Aside from those in the palace, there were only Duke Beiqin and Worthy Prince. The two princes could practically walk around freely in the capital; there would be no need for them to conceal their identities.
Other princes were all stationed in their respective fiefs and had been coming and going over recent years...
With this thought in mind, Xu Mu speculated whether he could be a descendant of some fief lord. But even then, there wouldn’t be a need for such mystery.
Wouldn't a fief lord's descendant attract suspicion from the emperor if they acted so secretively?
After much contemplation without arriving at any conclusions, Xu Mu finally spoke up. "Forget it; thinking too highly of it doesn’t make sense. It’s more plausible that he is an outsider."
"But if he's here for business... oh, he does have a few shops, but their profits are neither good nor bad," Fang Yitong said, still puzzled.
Xu Mu didn’t dwell on it; perhaps this person simply took his mother’s surname Mu and ended up doing business in the capital later on.
After all, there was no reason to think too highly of it. As for why the the Fang Family couldn't find anything out—perhaps it simply meant they lacked capability.
Looking at it from another angle: if the the Fang Family were so skilled at gathering information, how could they fall behind a legitimate merchant like the Su Family?
With this line of reasoning, everything made sense to Xu Mu. He attributed all of this to the inadequacy of the the Fang Family's capabilities but couldn’t say it outright since he still needed their support.
For now, it would be best to proceed cautiously and endure for a while longer until his time came to shine before investigating further.
The soundproofing of the private room wasn't great; their conversation was clearly overheard by Su Che and Mu Junze next door.
After finishing their meal and leaving, Su Che and his companion switched to another private room. Su Che recalled Xu Mu and Fang Yitong's earlier conversation and glanced at Mu Junze.
Mu Junze seemed unfazed; even if they uncovered something about him, what difference would it make? In this world under heaven, who could rival imperial power? He didn’t believe Xu Mu could overshadow the emperor.
On the contrary, Su Che felt uneasy. Although he intended to marry him, he hadn’t seen any agreement from him yet. After mentioning it last time, he hadn’t brought it up again; he wondered if there were concerns or if he simply didn’t want to marry him at all.
After much hesitation, Mu Junze asked calmly, "What do you think about what we discussed last time?"
"What matter?" Su Che replied, looking puzzled.
Seeing Su Che's confused expression, Mu Junze felt a bit anxious and quickly added, "I mean... would you be willing to marry me?"
For some reason, Mu Junze had absolute confidence in everything, but when it came to Su Che, he couldn't help but feel uncertain about even the smallest matters. He always needed to hear a definitive answer from him to feel at ease.
Su Che's face flushed at the words, and he spoke softly, "I would be willing... but..."
"Ah, I see. It's my fault for not being prepared. I should have..." Mu Junze began, but Su Che interrupted him.
"No... it's just that your status is so noble. If it were a typical marriage between a man and a woman, it would be a beautiful story. But with me, it might attract gossip. So I think you should consider it again."
"No need to consider. I don't care what others think. In my life, there are few people I cherish; as long as you are willing, I will give you everything. If you agree, after the examination results are announced, I will go to the palace to ask my brother for your hand in marriage. However, even if we are granted marriage, it may not stop the rumors. This might cause you some distress, but rest assured, I will never let anyone harm you."
Seeing Mu Junze's serious expression made Su Che feel deeply touched. Shyly, he nodded and said, "Then let's choose a day for the proposal. I will go back and inform my parents in the next few days while waiting for you to come and marry me."
Mu Junze was as happy as a child, unable to hide his joy and eager to propose immediately.
After they finished their meal, Mu Junze escorted Su Che back to the Su Family home, his face full of reluctance as they parted ways.
"I always feel that the days spent with you pass by so quickly, and now we must part again," Su Che said with a smile.
"It's only a few days. There will be plenty to keep us busy during this time. Now, it's getting late; I should head back," Mu Junze replied, reluctantly giving in. This scene was witnessed by Su Father, who, after Su Che entered the house, inquired about the situation. Su Che did not hide anything and openly shared his choice with his father.
He had expected his father to be furious and confine him to his room, but to his surprise, his father sighed in relief and said, "This is your own choice; I will not interfere. However, you must think carefully. The person you are to marry is not ordinary, and the Su Family is made up of merchants. Historically, officials have looked down on merchants. Given your situation, I fear there may not be much I can do to help you in the future."
As he spoke, tears streamed down Su Father's face. He had only this one son. When he was with Xu Mu, he had already known the challenges ahead but thought that Su Che was still young and would eventually understand. Over time, he had slowly convinced himself to accept it.
He thought that Xu Mu was a decent child and that with the support of the Su Family, Su Che would not face too much bullying. Little did he know that Xu Mu was not as straightforward as he seemed.
He had heard of Duke Beiqin; if an imperial decree truly came down, they would have no choice but to comply. In that moment, Su Father felt nothing but regret for his own powerlessness. If only he were an official, Su Che would at least have more confidence.
Upon hearing his father's words, Su Che knelt down and bowed his head.
"I am unfilial, but Father need not worry. He is not like Xu Mu. I have grown up and understand things now... Thank you for your support, Father."
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