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墨書 Inktalez
She took a deep breath, her feet descending as her hands gently explored the tree trunk. Once her feet found a stable point, she leaned forward and flipped upside down.
In an instant, she was seen with her legs wrapped around the trunk, arms hugging it tightly, back against the tree, facing outward in an inverted position. Then, she released her legs for a downward flip, transitioning back into a tree-hugging posture. This cycle continued for about ten repetitions before she finally landed on the ground.
However, before she could even rub her sore arms, a sudden force knocked her down. In her ears rang a shrill voice like that of a pig being slaughtered: “Brother Mu Han! It was him! He led the kidnapping and said he would make Sister Muxin suffer beyond death, and he also... he also...” As Su Xiuning hit the ground, she was pushed aside by Shen Muhan, who was entangled with the Toothless Man and others. Suddenly, she saw the Toothless Man charging toward her. Panic surged within her as she instinctively tackled Xia Muxin to the ground and pointed at the Toothless Man to accuse him. Shen Muhan quickly dealt with several others and approached them with a grim expression. Su Xiuning's eyes widened in fear as she noticed the murderous intent in the Toothless Man's gaze. In a rush, she rolled over with Xia Muxin and shouted, “They also said they wanted to humiliate Sister Muxin... ah...”
Her last word froze in place at the moment the Toothless Man's head fell to the ground. She trembled at the sight of blood gushing out, screamed while clutching her head, and fainted.
“Master, are you alright?”
The one who had decapitated the Toothless Man was not Shen Muhan but rather a figure in black who had fought alongside the Red-Clad Woman earlier. He sheathed his blade and leaned toward Shen Muhan, asking coldly.
“I’m fine. Clean it up.”
Shen Muhan’s eyes glinted with icy intent as he shot a meaningful glance at the man in black before instructing him in a calm voice. He then walked over.
“Uncle, this woman looks so thin and delicate, but she's incredibly heavy.”
Xia Muxin was still pinned down by Su Xiuning. After playing a game of cat and mouse and flipping down from the tree like that, her energy was completely drained. Now being tackled by Su Xiuning only added to her frustration; she felt utterly limp and pouted at Shen Muhan with a pitiful expression.
Shen Muhan’s lips twitched slightly as he effortlessly lifted the unconscious Su Xiuning and tossed her into the air. In an instant, a shadow leaped up to catch Su Xiuning before she hit the ground.
“Take her back to Shen Manor.”
Without even glancing at the person who caught Su Xiuning, Shen Muhan commanded coldly.
The man in black respectfully acknowledged and vanished without a trace.
Xia Muxin smiled slightly, extending her hands and waiting for Shen Muhan to pull her up.
"How can you be so weak? It's only been a few rounds."
Shen Muhan raised an eyebrow, extending his hand to pull Xia Muxin up, teasingly adding a layer of meaning to his words.
"What do you mean by weak... you..."
Xia Muxin was ready to retort, but upon seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes, she suddenly recalled his earlier words. Her cheeks flushed, and she pinched his arm with a scrunched nose until Shen Muhan feigned a frown and cried out in pain, prompting her to release him with a triumphant smile.
"Uncle, why did you let them take Su Xiuning away? Didn't you notice she was pretending to faint?"
Thinking of the matter at hand, Xia Muxin couldn't help but voice her concern.
"Indeed, you are quite perceptive. My Muxin has even noticed this," Shen Muhan said, wrapping his long arm around her and pulling her into his embrace. He cast a sidelong glance at the Dragon Pool, praising her.
"Uncle, I have a secret to tell you..."
Xia Muxin rolled her eyes and decided not to spar with him verbally anymore. Remembering the various events that had transpired under the tree, she leaned closer to Shen Muhan and began to whisper.
By the time they returned to Shen Manor, it was already evening. Xia Muxin had fallen asleep in his arms. He carried her into his room, gently removed her shoes and outer garments, arranged her comfortably, and tucked her in before stepping out of the room.
Outside the door stood Ming Peng and Ming Qi on guard.
"Boss, something really did happen during the escort."
At that moment, Ming Yi rushed over, looking worn out. Seeing Shen Muhan's door tightly closed while Ming Yi and Ming Qi stood like statues on either side, he understood that Xia Muxin was inside and dared not make too much noise. He approached Shen Muhan slowly and bowed to report.
"Did anyone from the Ministry of Personnel arrive?"
Shen Muhan remained calm and unhurried, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes as he casually inquired.
"Yes, not only the Ministry of Personnel, but even Zhao Guang and the Grand Tutor have sent people over."
Thinking back to that moment, Ming Yi couldn't help but smile as he recalled the events.
"Alright, have Xiao Yan prepare for the reception. We must ensure those villagers return home safely. Tomorrow, we will go watch a good show of dogs fighting dogs."
Remembering Xia Muxin's plan, Shen Mu Jin smirked and gave the order. After Ming Yi received the command, he took off swiftly.
"Shen Muhan, you little brat, come out here! I entrusted Xiuer to you, and yet you let her get hurt time and again. It's one thing to be injured, but to leave her all alone without a care is unacceptable!"
As soon as Ming Yi left, Su Rong's thunderous voice echoed through the air. Shen Muhan frowned, lazily digging at his ear before replying coolly.
"Excuse me, Elder Su, it was you who invited her to stay here. Why didn’t you send someone to protect her? You know as the Regent, I am quite busy and cannot waste my time on a woman."
At his words, Su Rong nearly spat blood in frustration. Shen Muhan had become increasingly capable, completely disregarding the advice of an elder. All his scheming was for Shen Muhan's own good.
Why was he so stubborn? Why couldn’t he understand?
"Do you have any other matters, Elder Su? If not, I’ll be on my way."
Seeing Su Rong standing there in silence, staring at him, a flicker of disdain crossed Shen Muhan's eyes. After saying this curtly, he strode away.
Su Rong watched him leave with such detachment and looked downcast. Han Er, oh Han Er, now it would be difficult for you not to go to Ning'er because... the Retired Emperor has already agreed to his request for their marriage today. As for that country girl... she might find it hard to protect herself.
*
The next morning, Xia Muxin woke up in Shen Muhan's embrace.
"Uncle, I haven't lost my memory, have I? Why does it feel like morning now, and..."
She felt a bit dazed from sleep and noticed his large hand rubbing her waist, prompting her to ask in confusion.
"Yes, and I feel very hungry," Shen Muhan said with a chuckle as he playfully pinched her nose. He continued her thought, but Xia Muxin stared at him wide-eyed, only to hear him say something completely unrelated: "Your waist strength is quite impressive, worthy of praise."
"...???"
What does that have to do with anything? Suddenly, she caught sight of a book next to the pillow. Xia Muxin's gaze sharpened; the cover looked strange. She reached out to grab it, but as soon as her hand stretched out, Shen Muhan caught it and swiftly tossed the book up, where it landed perfectly in a small box on the ceiling. Xia Muxin tilted her head back, rolling her eyes as she looked for a while, confirming that there was definitely more than one book inside. After filtering through her thoughts, she suddenly pointed at Shen Muhan and exclaimed:
"Uncle, you're not pure for reading that kind of book."
She realized the cover looked familiar; she had seen it once when buying paper and ink in Town. It was a banned book...
She never expected Shen Muhan would read such things...
"Yes, it's quite normal. I'm just someone who has seen pigs run but never tasted pork. This is just preparation for your future 'happiness,'" Shen Muhan replied nonchalantly, putting on his outer shirt with an air of calmness.
Xia Muxin felt defeated. If she thought about it carefully, out of the less than twenty exchanges between them from yesterday to today, fifteen had been abnormal and laden with meaning. Could this old man be a little more serious in front of her?
Knock knock knock...
Knock knock knock...
"Speak!"
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. At that moment, Shen Muhan was adjusting his belt and pulled Xia Muxin, who was still sitting in bed in a daze, out with him as he calmly uttered a single word.
"Boss, someone has come from the palace early this morning. They say Zhao Weiran brought his daughter Zhao Qiushui to petition Miss Muxin into the palace and demand that the emperor make a decision regarding Miss Muxin... to punish her."
Immediately, Ming Yi's hesitant voice came from outside the door.
"Understood."
After a stick of incense had burned down, Xia Muxin emerged from the house, one hand holding a bun and the other a pear, walking alongside Shen Muhan. Su Rong was already in the carriage, and Shen Muhan frowned slightly. He had no idea that his grandfather was staying at Shen Manor; it seemed he would need to move out soon.
Su Xiuning stood outside the carriage, looking haggard yet maintaining her composure. When she saw Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin coming out, she greeted them with a smile. "Sister Muxin, you're up! I thought you might sleep in longer since you looked so tired, Qin Matron."
Her cheerful demeanor made Xia Muxin shrink back slightly; it felt like a weasel wishing a chicken a happy new year—definitely not a good sign. Just then, Qin Matron approached with a tray that held several colorful pastries.
"I know you woke up late and probably didn't have time for breakfast. Qin Matron's cooking is excellent; you can eat these while we walk, Brother Muhan can have some too."
She reached out to take the tray from Qin Matron's hands and smiled as she spoke, then shyly glanced at Shen Muhan and whispered.
Um...
Was she trying to curry favor with her?
Xia Muxin was puzzled; however, she had no desire to eat any of this food.
"Thank you, Miss Su, but I'm full. I just had some food that my uncle personally fed me."
After seeing Su Xiuning helped into the carriage by Qin Matron, Xia Muxin took a hearty bite of her pear and spoke clearly.
At that moment, Su Xiuning sat in the carriage with her back to Xia Muxin. A chill ran through her as she dug her nails deep into her palm, a cold smile forming in her heart. Xia Muxin, let's see how long you can be proud. Today is the day the Retired Emperor grants marriage; no matter how arrogant Shen Muhan is, he wouldn't dare defy an imperial decree. As for you... I look forward to your tragic end.
But when she turned around, she put on an appearance of a gentle and harmless young lady and smiled. "Oh, that's fine. If you ever want to eat something, just let me know and I'll have someone make it for you."
Xia Muxin twitched her mouth; it wasn't that she didn't want to eat but rather that she looked down on such cooking.
"Uncle, I want to ride a horse."
Knowing that Su Xiuning had pretended to faint yesterday only deepened Xia Muxin's negative impression of her. Moreover, upon returning this time, she felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint what it was. Besides, she really didn't want to sit in the carriage today because both she and Qin Matron were inside.
Shen Muhan had already anticipated this and immediately pulled Xia Muxin over with charm in his voice. "Alright, let's ride."
As she spoke, she mounted the horse first, and then Zhaoxia Muxin reached out.
Xia Muxin smiled slightly and tightly grasped his hand. With a pull, Xia Muxin found herself sitting in front of him. Immediately, she squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, and the horse kicked its hooves and galloped away.
Su Xiuning barely had time to shout before she could only watch the gradually shrinking figure, gritting her teeth in anger.
"Miss, be patient. There will be plenty of time ahead; why worry about this moment?"
Qin Matron pulled down the carriage curtain to block Su Xiuning's view and slowly advised her.
*
"Uncle, I want to go home. I just feel uneasy inside."
Over here, Shen Muhan slowed down after putting some distance between them and the carriage. Xia Muxin turned her head and said somewhat dejectedly.
At the beginning of the workshop, neither she nor Ming Yi were there. She wondered if her parents would be bullied again, and whether Songzi had grown taller. She knew he must be bored without her at home. Would her brothers be able to hold their ground? And what about Python Brother? Without her at home, would someone like Rong Li take an interest in him?
"Just endure for a few more days; we'll be back soon."
Shen Muhan gently bit her soft earlobe and whispered softly in her ear.
A smile curved on Xia Muxin's lips; she knew that Uncle would never lie to her.
Upon entering the palace, Xia Muxin saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face—Zhao Qiushui.
It was familiar because of the face, but unfamiliar due to the aura surrounding her. The strong scent of makeup was somewhat overwhelming, and she was dressed very lightly. It was still spring, and everyone else wore thick outer garments, yet Zhao Qiushui wore a transparent outer garment that barely covered her body. Additionally, there were two glaring scars on her face.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it is she! This is why I have fallen into such a tragic fate."
At that moment, Zhao Qiushui looked at Xia Muxin with eyes full of hatred and suddenly knelt down with a thud.
He Cong and Wang Shoucai were being escorted to the capital, and neither of them had any chance of escape.
Everything she had endured during this time, she would reclaim one by one. Moreover, that old brothel keeper had been stabbed thirty times by her; her once plump face was now unrecognizable. The brothel itself had turned to ashes. She wanted those people dead— the more, the better. And that Yan Zhouwan, that woman, absolutely could not be allowed to live; otherwise, her Zhao Family would face annihilation.
So she fought with all her might, and in the end, she won. Heaven was still favoring her, wasn't it?
"Qiu Shui, sister, you..."
The arrival of Su Xiuning and Zhao Qiushui startled her greatly. Covering her mouth, her eyes filled with mist as she asked in disbelief.
"Please, Your Majesty, grant justice for this old minister."
Seeing this, Zhao Weiran also knelt down, pleading with immense sorrow.
Tian Ming Rui felt a headache coming on; he rubbed his temples in exhaustion. This was the palace! How could these people bring their family matters into the court? Moreover, how was everything related to that Shen Muhan's wife?
"Zhao Aiqing, please rise. The Su Family just caused a ruckus; why is it your family again? Is the one kneeling here your daughter?"
He remembered clearly that his daughter was well-educated and rarely left home, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Hadn't he just said this when confronting Xia Muxin a few days ago?
"This old minister deserves to die. This is actually my child who was lost when I was young; her life has been hard enough without being framed for... for..."
Zhao Weiran's gaze flickered. He had only just learned that his daughter not only returned but had also gone to the palace to file a complaint. The ones who brought her were General Wei and his son Wei Jianxu.
Xia Muxin scanned the entire Golden Throne Hall and paused her gaze on one person. That person looked very familiar; however, dressed in men's clothing with an air of elegance and confidence, their frosty eyes were a stark contrast to the Red-Clad Woman she had seen that day. Yet this appearance...
Could it be that she was seeing things?
"Isn't this Zhao Qiushui?"
Upon hearing this, Tian Ming Rui frowned and asked repeatedly.
“Your Majesty, this is my wayward daughter, Zhao Qiuyue. She has been living at my uncle Wang Shoucai's home in Daimiao Village.”
Zhao Weiran's forehead was already glistening with fine sweat. Autumn Moon was indeed his bloodline lost to the world, but a few years ago, when he recognized his roots, he had arranged for her to live separately to prevent disturbances from his wives. He had hired a nurse to teach her, and during Qiu Shui's time away from home, she had been playing the role of Qiu Shui exceptionally well, mastering etiquette and various talents. This was also why he did not refuse when the emperor wanted to confer the title of princess upon Qiu Shui.
Wei Yuan had clearly outmaneuvered him. It was likely that Qiu Shui often roamed outside and had heard of his name; perhaps they had even crossed paths. When she escaped, she might have revealed everything. At this moment, he could not afford any mistakes.
He could only go along with this lie.
Daimiao Village again?
The Zhao family had strict teachings, perhaps because Zhao Weiran had too many guilty secrets, leading him to be overly cautious. Among the court officials, no one had seen the real Zhao Qiushui, so even if Zhao Weiran lied, they would be none the wiser.
Tian Ming Rui glanced at Xia Muxin and asked, “Xia Muxin, do you know this girl Zhao Qiuyue?”
Xia Muxin stepped forward calmly and bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, I do not know a girl named Zhao Qiuyue, but I do know this young lady; however... she is not called Zhao Qiuyue but Zhao Qiushui.”
Uh...
Tian Ming Rui stroked his chin in confusion and continued, “Is she a villager from Daimiao Village?”
Xia Muxin knew she was from Daimiao Village; after all, any connection with her could only be established there.
“Your Majesty, I do not know. I only know that this girl recently went to Daimiao Village and claimed to be the cousin of our village's landlord. She said her family was influential and threatened that if we did not obey her uncle's orders and turn over our grain, she would have us executed.”
Since she came here to confront her, how could she have any reason to be modest? If you can fabricate lies, so can I.
“Xia Muxin, you are lying! It was you who incited the villagers to rebel, illegally opened a brick factory, dug private fish ponds, and swindled my uncle's money!”
Indeed, upon hearing Xia Muxin's words, Zhao Qiushui immediately retorted loudly.
"Is that so? Then, my lady, how did the Commoner swindle your uncle out of his money?"
Xia Muxin raised an eyebrow. She seemed to catch a glimpse of the man chuckling softly. Following the sound, she saw him return to his previous serious demeanor, and she continued speaking.
"You secretly schemed, bought a piece of poor land, and then went around claiming that the feng shui was good and the soil was fertile. You reap what you sow, but in the end, my Uncle by Marriage bought it back from you at double the price. However, this land is not good at all; it can't grow anything..."
Zhao Qiushui had no idea that Xia Muxin was probing for information. He spoke with righteous indignation, and even Zhao Weiran couldn't stop him in time, feeling frustrated internally.
"My lady, if that's the case, your Uncle by Marriage must be a fool. Paying double the price is one thing, but how could someone like him not know the quality of the land? How did he become a landlord?"
Seizing the opportunity, Xia Muxin quickly interjected. This time, she aimed to uproot the issue entirely and bring peace and justice to the villagers of Daimiao Village.
- End of Chapter -
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