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“Hey, hey, hey... you all, this private room is already occupied. You can't just barge in here...”
As soon as he finished speaking, a helpless voice from the waiter downstairs echoed up. Suddenly, the door to their elegant room was kicked open with a loud crash, splintering into pieces and scattering debris everywhere.
“Shen Muhan, what do you mean by this?”
The one questioning was Zhao Yangwei, the eldest son of the Zhao Family. Behind him were Su Xiuning, her face streaked with tears, and Tian Yuxin, who wore a look of schadenfreude.
Zhao Weiran had a heart of a beast beneath his handsome exterior. Zhao Yangwei was indeed good-looking, considered above average in terms of attractiveness, but his eyes were too sinister. Xia Muxin wondered if such wickedness could be inherited. The Wang family was one example, the Zhou family another, and now there was the Zhao Family?
In truth, it all boiled down to the environment; the kind of upbringing one had shaped their character. Moreover, Zhao Weiran must have nurtured his son in this manner.
Xia Muxin didn’t actually know the Zhao Family Brothers well. She had caught a glimpse of them when Shen Muhan dragged her to the court earlier that day. Shen Muhan had briefly introduced them, and she remembered them from that.
The beauty behind them, crying like a weeping willow and stunningly gorgeous, left Xia Muxin in awe. This woman was breathtakingly beautiful beyond description; however, even in her sorrowful state, there was an alluring charm about her.
That kind of seductiveness seemed innate, which explained why Shen Muhan wouldn’t even spare her a glance. Even without the rivalry aspect, Xia Muxin wouldn’t consider being friends with someone like her.
As for Tian Yuxin behind her, Xia Muxin had seen her before but didn’t think much of her. After all, anyone who treated their family poorly couldn’t be a good person; she was just that willful.
Tian Yuxin probably didn’t expect her brother Tian Ming Rui to be here as well. She immediately lowered her gaze and stared at her toes.
In the capital city, it was common knowledge that the Zhao Family Brothers admired Su Xiuning. However, Su Xiuning’s heart only belonged to Shen Muhan, which made the two brothers loathe him even more. They wished he would perish on the battlefield and never return but were consistently disappointed.
Moreover, being able to connect with the Su Family through marriage was something their father had always hoped for.
“Wow, Your Majesty and Regent, whose dog is barking here? Isn’t it too pathetic for you both to be Emperor and Regent?”
At this moment, Zhao Yangwei’s question stirred various thoughts among the crowd. Shen Muhan remained calm as he sipped tea and savored his food, seemingly indifferent to Su Xiuning's heart-wrenching sorrow; there was even a hint of disdain in his eyes.
Tian Ming Rui stared at the three people who had suddenly barged in, speechless. Xia Muxin, however, was not so hesitant and directly mocked them.
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Yangwei's expression changed, and he felt somewhat embarrassed. In a moment of impulse, he had forgotten his status. Now, he clasped his fists and bowed slightly, saying, "This Official pays respects to Your Majesty and the Regent. I apologize for my earlier offense in a moment of urgency; please forgive me."
After speaking, his gaze began to assess Xia Muxin. She was not the kind of beauty that could topple kingdoms, but she certainly had her charms, especially those round, large watery eyes that sparkled with cunning light. It reminded him of a scene with a venomous snake; she truly deserved to be admired by men.
However, it was precisely because of her that his younger sister's life was now uncertain, and important plans had been thoroughly disrupted by her actions. This had left their father in a state of distress. Thus, such a fierce woman was only suitable for someone like his younger brother to play with. If given the chance, he should really introduce them.
"Yangwei, Yangwei," Tian Ming Rui said after a moment, returning to his carefree demeanor as if he were an entirely different person from before. To Xia Muxin, it seemed like he was suffering from some sort of split personality. In reality, she understood that he was merely trying to confuse the situation and mislead everyone’s attention.
Seeing this, Xia Muxin was not willing to fall behind and quickly chimed in, "A grown man bullying such a beautiful sister until she cries—so many people have seen it along the way! Those who don't know might think you..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
"Brother Mu Han, you’re back! Why didn’t you go see Xiuxiu?" Su Xiuning bit her plump red lips and looked at Shen Muhan with affectionate eyes. Feeling wronged, she spoke softly. After finishing her words, a few crystalline tears rolled down her cheeks, evoking sympathy from everyone present. Even Xia Muxin felt a lump in her throat at this delicate display.
Shen Muhan paused while pouring tea; his gaze swept over Su Xiuning's tender expression before locking onto Xia Muxin again. Was there a hint of jealousy in her words? He thought to himself as a smirk involuntarily crept onto his lips while he remained silent, content to watch the unfolding drama.
"Brother Mu Han, are you blaming Xiuxiu for not agreeing to the marriage sooner? Since His Majesty is here as well, we can go back and inform our families right away and have His Majesty bestow the marriage," Su Xiuning said anxiously after glancing at Xia Muxin when Shen Muhan showed no reaction.
Their story had spread throughout Kyoto, becoming a celebrated tale, filled with praise and blessings. He couldn't just leave her to bear it all alone.
At that moment, Tian Ming Rui nudged Shen Muhan with his elbow, signaling him to say something. After all, Su Xiuning was a delicate beauty, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed at the sight of her distress.
In truth, he and Shen Muhan shared the same sentiment; they both despised weeping women. Moreover, the two families had not formally engaged their children; it was merely a suggestion from the elders. Yet here was Su Xiuning, clinging to Shen Muhan. It was quite a predicament.
"Waiter, calculate the losses from this incident and today's expenses at the restaurant. Then say it's the Emperor's order for you to collect money from Deputy Minister of Revenue Zhao Weiran's household. We'll put this bill on credit for now and settle it later."
Shen Muhan obediently complied and spoke up immediately. However, as soon as he did, Tian Ming Rui nearly choked on his own spit. He felt like he was being dragged down with them; would this couple even have a future together?
Oh dear...
As regular patrons of the establishment, even the waitstaff could discern that there was more to this situation than met the eye. Upon hearing Shen Muhan's words, they showed no surprise but calmly left after bowing.
Shen Muhan managed to maintain his composure perfectly. Although he grew up alongside Tian Ming Rui and Mu Qing as siblings, he always kept a respectful distance between genders. Besides, Su Xiuning was like a leech; if he showed her any softness once, he'd regret it for life. Now that he had Muxin, his only thought was to marry her as soon as possible and eliminate any threats from the court's old thieves. Only when peace truly returned to the land could he live a life of unwavering devotion with Muxin.
In just a few months, he had only been away twice, and each time she had faced life-threatening danger—like that time when the Thatched Cottage caught fire. He had come so close to losing her. Therefore, he needed to eradicate all potential dangers, no matter how small.
"Muxin, the wind is picking up. The dampness from your time in prison hasn't fully cleared yet; we should head back."
Shen Muhan seemed unsatisfied with their reactions; he took Xia Muxin's hand firmly and affectionately smoothed her slightly disheveled hair before pulling her out of the private room without sparing a glance at anyone else.
Tian Ming Rui rubbed his aching temples as he watched their carefree departure and awkwardly said, "Ning'er, we both know Mu Han's temperament; no one can force him to do what he doesn't want to do. Just remember to cherish this friendship." With that, he hurried off as if chased by ghosts.
Su Xiuning remained silent, her mind filled with thoughts of Shen Muhan's tender care for Xia Muxin. Every gesture was as gentle as water rippling across a lake, sending painful pangs through her every nerve and piercing her heart.
"Xiu Ning..."
Zhao Yangwei felt a surge of secret delight in his heart, but he still pretended to be furious, calling out with concern.
Su Xiuning wiped her tears and managed a sorrowful smile.
"I'm fine; let these losses be on me. I'll have someone bring the money over shortly."
Even this simple act of wiping her tears made Zhao Yangwei's heart flutter. He stared at Su Xiuning for a while before saying,
"Uh, it's fine, it's fine. I'll go pay right now."
With that, he hurried downstairs and tossed a thousand taels of silver onto the counter.
"Young Master, your change."
Just as he was about to leave with pride, a hand placed several dozen copper coins on the counter, followed by a warm voice.
"This money is for you."
Zhao Yangwei's gaze froze as he scoffed at the handful of copper coins; the Zhao family never lacked for money.
"Young Master, my master said that we do not accept tips under one hundred taels."
The clerk was an elderly man in his fifties, with graying hair but a spirited demeanor. His sharp eyes looked at Zhao Yangwei without fear, only a polite smile on his face.
This was precisely what Shen Muhan had instructed before leaving: everything must be done according to Xia Muxin's wishes. Xia Muxin had simply given him one piece of advice:
A high-end restaurant must provide high-end service; treating small amounts of money as worthless is noble. We do not accept tips below one hundred taels; we are not beggars. If the sky falls, this big fellow will hold it up. If he can't manage it, behind him stands the emperor of Tianli Kingdom...
A brief statement that made his heart tremble, yet Shen Muhan had told him to listen only to her. Thus, he would follow her orders without question.
As for who was offended, they would handle it themselves.
"You..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yangwei felt utterly insulted. He watched as the old man calmly lowered his head to fiddle with an abacus. With a sweep of his hand across the counter, dozens of copper coins fell to the ground, clinking loudly. At that moment, a waiter carrying a tray passed by and stepped right on the coins. Even though he glanced down at them, he didn’t bother to pick them up on his way back.
Soon after, someone came over with a broom and swept all the coins outside. However, instead of throwing them away, they were swept just outside the door, where a group of beggar children quickly gathered to pick them up.
Zhao Yangwei's face turned as red as liver in anger. He pointed at the old man behind the counter and was about to make a move when his gaze caught sight of Su Xiuning coming down the stairs. He withdrew his hand and gave the old man a sinister smile before changing his demeanor and walking toward Su Xiuning...
*
"Hey, Xia Muxin, why did you set such harsh rules for the tavern earlier?"
Poplar Forest was a famous scenic area in the capital, and it was early spring—the season of revival. Everything was lush and green, with small bridges over flowing streams, pavilions by the water, and rockeries dotting the landscape. Shen Muhan had not taken Xia Muxin back home; he knew their family was surely waiting for them. Instead, he brought her here to enjoy the scenery. Tian Ming Rui had naturally become the third wheel, pondering why Xia Muxin had imposed such a rule on the tavern manager when they left.
It was only natural for businesses to collect tips; moreover, if that worker didn’t want tips, wasn’t Xia Muxin’s rule just going against human nature?
Natsume leisurely admired the scenery and spoke with an unfriendly tone:
"I don’t need this little bit of money."
"......"
Howl...
Tian Ming Rui felt provoked again—provoked thoroughly. Indeed, men like that would attract women like that. Judging by his tone, he sounded arrogant and self-important—nothing like Shen Muhan.
"Hey, big brother Emperor, can we discuss something?"
As they walked, Xia Muxin began to feel a bit tired. She stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and suddenly spoke up.
"Are you tired? Let's sit over there and rest for a while."
Shen Muhan noticed her fatigue and pointed to a nearby pavilion, speaking softly. Xia Muxin followed his gesture and nodded. Then, Shen Muhan took her hand and led her there.
Tian Ming Rui scratched his nose, sensing that Shen Muhan was not pleased with him following along. It seemed he was interrupting their time alone. However, since Xia Muxin had not yet voiced her question, he felt he couldn't leave. With that thought, he quickened his pace to catch up.
Once they found a suitable spot to sit down, he leaned in and asked, "Hey, Miss Muxin, what did you want to discuss with me earlier?"
"I can help you eliminate future troubles with my uncle. Once it's done, you can grant him a piece of land, and then we can retire back home to farm. We won't have to deal with court matters anymore, how does that sound?"
As the saying goes, serving alongside a ruler is like being with a tiger. Shen Muhan was young and capable now, able to win battles repeatedly. But who could guarantee that there wouldn't be similar figures emerging from other nations? Moreover, with Lord Shen and Prime Minister Su backing him now, who could say what would happen when they grew old or even after a hundred years? Even if Tian Ming Rui regarded him as a brother, what about other princes or concubines? Or their future royal offspring?
She disliked the life of fighting and killing; she wanted nothing more than to live peacefully with the person she loved and her family.
Because having this life did not guarantee another.
After a moment of silence, Shen Muhan pulled her into his embrace. He understood what this young girl was thinking.
Tian Ming Rui hesitated for a long time before finally saying to Shen Muhan, "I really envy you."
After speaking, he abruptly stood up and left. His heavy footsteps and forlorn figure puzzled Xia Muxin. After a while, she turned to Shen Muhan and asked, "Is it because of Jiao Jiao?"
Shen Muhan pulled her closer into his arms, letting her sit on his lap while he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He held her slightly cold hand tightly with one hand while resting his chin on her shoulder. After a long pause, he replied:
"Yes, Jiao Jiao's real name is Zhou Lijiao. She was originally the designated empress. But at that time, Ming Rui was young and reckless; misled by the ministers, he wrongly accused the former Left Chancellor's family of treason and executed all eighty-six members in front of her. She had gone back home to pay respects to her ancestors at that time and narrowly escaped this disaster. They were betrothed since childhood but had never met until one day during a hunt when Ming Rui was saved by the mountain girl Jiao Jiao. They developed feelings for each other in secret, and eventually, Jiao Jiao became pregnant with his child. However, on the day he returned to court, she learned of his true identity and stabbed him in anger; the blade almost struck his heart—just half an inch away—and even the Great Immortal couldn't have saved him then. In her emotional turmoil, Jiao Jiao miscarried. At that moment, she was imprisoned by the Retired Emperor like a madwoman. It was only after verifying her identity that they realized she belonged to the royal family due to debts owed to the Zhou family; thus she was released. After that incident, she never returned again, while Ming Rui lost his heart because of her."
So, everything about him was a disguise. At this moment, if he were to be stabbed a few more times by Jiao Jiao, he would have no complaints; he only wished that she would still remember him and come back to find him.
“Uncle...”
“Muxin, so... I won’t let myself make any irreversible mistakes, especially towards you.”
Xia Muxin wanted to say something, but Shen Muhan held her even tighter, leaning close to her ear and softly speaking, as if making a vow.
Xia Muxin's lips curled into a smile as she leaned in closer to him, slowly closing her eyes.
“Muxin, the old men at home are all stubborn and hard to deal with. Are you scared?” They embraced for a long while before Shen Muhan spoke again.
“When soldiers come, we fight; when water comes, we block it. I’m not afraid of ghosts, so why should I be afraid of people?” Xia Muxin furrowed her brows and confidently patted her chest.
In truth, she understood that Shen Muhan treated his family like his own, so she would do the same for his family. After all, being together was a matter for two people. Although the customs were rigid and old-fashioned, rules are dead while people are alive. She didn’t believe that a clever and lively modern person like herself couldn’t handle an old-fashioned man.
Hearing this, Shen Muhan’s smile gradually widened, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. “Earlier in court, you called me cold. Let me hear you say it again.”
“So that’s what you’ve been fishing for all this time. Uncle, how come you’re getting more old-fashioned as you age?”
Xia Muxin’s gaze darkened as she turned to face Shen Muhan directly, speaking with a hint of disdain.
“Then what do you think would not be considered going backward?”
Shen Muhan’s eyes sparkled with a fox-like grin as he asked curiously.
“What do you mean? Isn’t it easy to handle a woman? Just pin her down on the bed and then... uh, you’re provoking me... boohoo...”
“Don’t go to the bed; I can make you say countless strange things right here.”
“Ugh...”
*
In the evening, the wind was a bit chilly. Xia Muxin drowsily opened her eyes, realizing she had unknowingly fallen asleep in Shen Muhan's embrace. His outer robe covered her, and the tip of her nose was filled with his unique scent.
"You're awake. Are you hungry? I'll take you to eat something."
Shen Muhan had also taken a brief rest. He wasn't in a hurry to return home; he knew very well what was happening there at that moment. Su Xiuning must be crying to her mother and grandfather, and he wanted to enjoy a little more peace and quiet.
Not mentioning Xia Muxin, his stomach suddenly growled twice, drawing a chuckle from Shen Muhan. Xia Muxin, feeling embarrassed, shifted slightly in his arms until she felt something pressing against her behind. Noticing the unusual expression on Shen Muhan's face, she quickly bounced up from him and changed the subject.
"Um... let's go eat something."
Saying this, she clasped her hands behind her back and walked ahead.
Shen Muhan shook his head, smiling lightly as he followed her.
However, just as he turned around, his expression darkened. The large group ahead was none other than the two Old Immortals leading the families of Shen Su. Looking at these two Old Immortals, with bandages wrapped around their heads and arms in slings, it was clear how fierce the struggle had been.
Suddenly smiling, he wrapped his arm around Xia Muxin's slender waist. Seeing her look at him in confusion, he raised an eyebrow and said with a grin:
"Muxin, let’s play a game of cat and mouse."
- End of Chapter -
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