Chapter 191 Twin Brothers

“Uh…yes…” Mu Xi had no choice but to stand up.

Shen Lun clearly wanted to get rid of her so he could speak with Mu Xun alone.

Judging from Shen Lun's words, he seemed to still intend to have her switch to Shen Zhixi's identity one day. That is to say, she and Mu Xun had already discovered the secret of the marriage certificate in the golden lock, but Shen Lun was unaware that they already knew.

That would be best, allowing them to easily continue faking their sibling relationship in front of anyone.

Thinking of this, Mu Xi suppressed her irritation and became even more sincere: "Uncle is right, we should indeed go and take a look."

Spring sunlight streamed through the exquisitely carved windows of the rear residence of the Marquis of Yong, casting dappled shadows.

Bathed in the fresh scent of newly sprouting plants, Mu Xi's agitated mood calmed down considerably.

It seems unlikely that our goal of reconciling with Shen Lun and discussing cooperation will be achieved today.

No, at least half of it has been achieved, and it was achieved on the surface by her unilaterally behaving subserviently.

Therefore, the remaining half of the objective can only be temporarily shelved.

While secretly comforting herself, Mu Xi was led by Granny Gui from the inner courtyard toward Yun Ying Pavilion, where Shen Zhixi resided.

The name Shen Zhixi, with the characters "Zhixi" meaning abundant blessings, joy, and peace, was given to her by her birth mother, Shen Ying, representing a mother's deepest blessings for her daughter.

Shen Ying's title is "Princess Yunying", and this Shen Zhixi who has never appeared lives in "Yunying Pavilion". Doesn't Marquis Shen Lun of Yongguo worry about others making connections?

Yunying Pavilion is a typical two-story building with a small courtyard.

The two-story building, with its upturned eaves, bears the marks of time and the elements.

The polished blue bricks on the courtyard floor are old, but in the corner of the courtyard stands a hibiscus tree in full bloom, its pink and purple flowers casting dappled shadows in the spring sunshine.

Granny Gui led them out of the courtyard and then left on her own.

Mu Xi walked into the courtyard on her own. As she entered the building, a faint, musty smell mixed with the fragrance of flowers wafted towards her.

It looks like it has been uninhabited for a long time, but the furnishings are elegant.

Rosewood tables and chairs, a dressing table inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a brocade screen embroidered with flowering branches, and several exquisite porcelain and jade artifacts displayed on an antique shelf…

Everything looked luxurious and exquisite, just like when Princess Shenying lived there.

Mu Xi looked around the first floor and went up to the second floor, but still didn't hear anyone speak.

The doors and windows on the second floor are made of delicate willow-leaf latticework, covered with fine gossamer gauze, and half of them are left open to let in some air.

It was said that no one had lived there for a long time, but all the furniture was spotless, the writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone were complete on the desk, and the mirror on the dressing table was bright and reflective.

Just as I was lingering there, I heard footsteps coming upstairs.

Leading the group was a middle-aged woman in her fifties, accompanied by two teenage maids, each carrying a teacup.

Upon seeing Mu Xi, the old woman first recognized her, and after confirming something, she bowed deeply and said, "You must be the real Second Miss. This old servant, Yan Shi, greets the Second Miss."

"Second Miss?" Mu Xi remembered that Shen Zhixi's public age was only seventeen.

The three people in front of them were chosen by Shen Ying herself for her daughter. Granny Yan was in charge of taking care of them, and one of the two maids was a stand-in to cover up their identities, while the other was a maid who helped maintain order.

Mu Xi stepped forward to help Granny Yan up, but had nothing more to say: "Granny Yan, how are you? My uncle asked me to come and see you."

Granny Yan said excitedly, "It's good that the Second Miss has arrived. This Yunying Pavilion was where the young lady... no... should be called the Princess, the Princess's residence. Since we moved here, we have not been able to go out or let outsiders in, so we were unable to greet the Second Miss when she came in."

The old woman Gui had led her to the door earlier, but she didn't dare to go in. Mu Xi wasn't surprised and didn't ask how the three of them knew it was her, and even prepared tea.

But when she looked up, she saw two maids staring intently at her, so Mu Xi had no choice but to bite the bullet and start a conversation: "One of you is called Chaolu and the other Xixia, right? I can't tell you two apart. Can you introduce yourselves?"

Granny Yan poured tea for Mu Xi.

The tall maid, dressed in emerald green, answered first: "I am Chaolu, an orphan with no relatives or friends in this world. Apart from Granny Yan, I only have Miss here. Today, I am so glad to have Miss back."

Another woman, dressed in a peach-pink dress and shorter in stature, quickly followed up with, "This servant is Xixia, also an orphan. I have no relatives or friends in this world, only Granny Yan and Miss."

Mu Xi was still not used to the three women calling her "Miss" repeatedly, but seeing their sincere expressions, she felt a mix of emotions welling up inside her. She couldn't help but ask, "Do you know why we came to Moyang this time?"

Granny Yan quickly replied, "Of course I know. This old servant has come to take the Second Miss back to the Marquis of Dounan's residence."

“You…” Mu Xi’s emotions choked in her throat.

From the original owner's memories, we know that Shen Zhixi was given the name "father-killer" by Lord Shen from birth. Therefore, she had to be sent to a Taoist temple to be kept until she came of age, and only after she came of age could she meet her father.

Therefore, the three people assigned to Shen Zhixi were kept in a remote Taoist temple far from Dounan for many years. They could not go out, could not see anyone, and were almost isolated from the world, with no one caring about them.

Judging from the figures and appearances of the two maids in front of her, it must have been Chaolu who was impersonating the "Second Miss" before. But even so, it was only when she had no other choice to come and go, and she must have concealed her figure and appearance so that she could not be shown to others.

Twenty years! Even without dwelling on the details, one can imagine how stifled these three people must have felt.

Granny Yan noticed Mu Xi's mood: "It seems that the Second Miss is a person of strong character. It's not in vain that we have waited for so many years. Actually, the three of us can pass the time with each other's company. But Miss is still dressed in men's clothing. I'm afraid it's not easy for her."

“Granny Yan…” Mu Xi grabbed Granny Yan’s hand.

Since she transmigrated to this world, no one has ever said such a intimate word to her.

Mu Xi was excited and grateful on behalf of the original owner of the body.

She gently pulled Granny Yan to sit down, and then gestured for Chaolu and Xixia to sit down as well: "There are no outsiders here, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. Sit down and tell me how you've been living these past few years."

Granny Yan was over fifty years old, her hair was gray, but her face was calm and peaceful. She said in an ordinary way, "There's nothing to worry about, life is still the same. Just be careful not to see outsiders. Thanks to Miss, life outside is not easy. For the past twenty years, I have been well-fed and clothed in Yunding Temple, and I have lived a peaceful life without being disturbed."

"Aren't you bored being locked up in the Taoist temple?" Mu Xi silently memorized the name of the Taoist temple, "Yunding Temple," from which she deduced that it must be located high in the mountains.