Chapter 292 Zhen Shenlun

After asking about what happened inside the Cloud Peak Temple, Mu Xi thought about the fight on the way back: "So, it's impossible to eliminate all the sentries outside. They must have escaped."

"Yes, I am incompetent," Dai Xin immediately apologized.

Mu Xi waved her hand: "It's normal that we can't stop them in such a vast mountain range. It's good to let some of them out so that when the news reaches Lord Shen's ears, it will be more accurate."

Afterwards, the group traveled through the night and returned to a camp at the foot of the southern slope of Yunding Mountain at dawn. The camp was well-connected and could lead directly to Qinzhou City or retreat to Jizhou, the richest city in the south.

Upon arrival at the camp, the unconscious person was carried to a secluded tent.

Mu Xi, Doctor Luo, and Qi Qingyuan followed them inside.

Mu Xi used the light in the tent to examine the face of the person who remained unconscious. The person was wearing a gray-blue robe, with disheveled hair and a thin frame. Although his eyes were closed, he still looked seven or eight parts similar to Lord Shen.

The physician said, "To prevent him from waking up suddenly on the way and causing an accident, I gave him a pill. It will probably take several more hours for him to wake up again."

“In that case, we don’t need to wait here. We can just have people guard the outside of the tent.” Mu Xi wished he could wake the person up and ask him questions immediately, but he had no choice. He then turned to Doctor Luo and Qi Qingyuan and said, “You two have not rested for a day and a night. Why don’t you take this opportunity to sit down and rest for a while?”

However, both Doctor Luo and Qi Qingyuan kept their eyes on the person on the bed, showing no intention of moving.

Mu Xi didn't force him, knowing that the emotional fluctuations in their hearts must be even stronger than hers, so she went out alone and returned to her tent to rest.

After she washed up and went to bed with Cao Pan'er's help, she opened her eyes again and found that the sun was already high in the sky outside the tent.

Mu Xi sat up abruptly: "He's awake?"

Cao Pan'er didn't hear clearly, so she quickly poured a cup of warm water and offered it to him: "Your Majesty, please have a cup of water. It's already past noon. I'll have someone bring some medicinal porridge right away."

"It's past noon, why didn't you wake me? Is that person awake?" Mu Xi said, hurriedly getting out of bed.

Cao Pan'er came over to help Mu Xi put on her shoes: "Your Majesty, please don't worry. That person has indeed woken up, but Doctor Luo instructed that he should talk to that person first."

"Uh..." Mu Xi thought for a moment and then said, "Alright, did the head of the Qi family also go over?"

“Yes, Master Qi rushed over after hearing the news that the person had woken up,” Cao Pan’er replied.

Mu Xi understood and gave up: "Alright, let them talk first."

After saying that, she was able to get up calmly to wash and change her clothes, and then ate some warm medicinal porridge.

Just as they finished eating the medicinal porridge, Doctor Luo came in from outside, requesting an audience.

Mu Xi was startled when she saw Doctor Luo's expression: "What's wrong? Did you confirm something?"

Doctor Luo's face was filled with unprecedented black anger: "It's clear, everything is clear. Just as Patriarch Qi predicted, Brother Shen... Brother Shen has suffered so much all these years... all these years have truly been hard for him."

"Is he really the real Marquis Shen who was switched out?" Mu Xi couldn't help but ask again.

"Yes." Doctor Luo nodded affirmatively again.

To be on the safe side, Mu Xi asked one last time, "Is Doctor Luo absolutely certain?"

Doctor Luo nodded emphatically: "He can recount every detail of how I first met him. I knew Shen Lun first, and as for his brothers, I've only met them a few times."

"Ah..." Mu Xi took a moment to process the result before asking, "How is his health? Is it still possible to see him now?"

“If the young master wishes to see him, I will invite him here. However…” Doctor Luo still couldn’t help but address Mu Xi by his name, “In what capacity will the young master see him?”

"What is his identity?" Mu Xi hadn't thought about this question. She glanced at the men's clothing she had just changed into. "Since he is the real Marquis of Yong, then I should naturally meet him as his nephew."

Doctor Luo replied, "To be precise, he is Shen Lun, the friend I met back then, but not the Marquis of Yong. I was unaware of your existence as my nephew before."

"Ah...this..." Mu Xi was at a loss for words. "Is he in good mental condition? Is he a normal person?"

"Of course," Doctor Luo replied, but he didn't intend to dwell on the matter any further. "Since the young master has questions to ask, I will go and invite him here. What I said earlier was just to prepare the young master."

"Okay." This time, it was Mu Xi's turn to feel slightly flustered.

Before long, Doctor Luo led "Zhen Shenlun" over.

Mu Xi stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Uncle, your nephew Mu Xi greets you, Uncle."

The newcomer was still wearing the same slender, gray-blue robe. He was tall and thin, and his eyes were not dull and lifeless, as Mu Xi had expected from someone broken by long imprisonment. Instead, they were bright and clear. Although he also had long, willow-leaf eyes, they were clear and bright. Although his eye sockets were deep and his face was pale as if he had never seen the sun for many years, the depths of his eyes were like a deep well, as if with the slightest stimulation, they could reflect the light and shadows of the sky and clouds again.

"Greetings, Lord." Hearing Mu Xi greet him, Zhen Shenlun clearly knew her identity. He raised his hand in return, seemingly wanting to smile, but his facial muscles were stiff from not seeing people for many years and he couldn't smile. So he added, "Your eyes are like those of Qionghua from back then."

Qionghua?

It took Mu Xi a moment to realize that it was the courtesy name of the original owner's birth mother.

But the man in front of him, Zhen Shenlun, did not look like someone who had been imprisoned for many years. He seemed more like a hermit who had voluntarily lived in seclusion for many years and had just emerged from seclusion.

One can't help but ask, "Was my uncle really imprisoned for many years?"

Zhen Shenlun was lean and refined, but his face always carried the stiffness of someone who hadn't been seen in years: "I hide myself in the mountains and towers, and find peace in detachment from worldly troubles. Although I am imprisoned, Shen Qiao fears the twin bloodline and dares not defy Heaven and God to kill me, thus I have been spared. As for freedom... since I cannot escape, I will simply accept my fate and cultivate my mind."

The phrase "cultivating a pure mind and nurturing oneself" sounds easy, but how easy is it to do when one is truly imprisoned against one's will?

Mu Xi found it hard to believe, and knowing that Doctor Luo must have already asked about the events of that year, she still had to ask: "It's truly fortunate that my uncle wasn't severely affected. Could you tell me a little about what happened back then?"

A complex and indescribable sorrow finally clouded Zhen Shenlun's eyes as he slowly spoke: "Alas, family scandals should not be aired in public... But now, it is no longer just a private matter of the Shen family; it concerns the rise and fall of the world, so we must consider the reputation of our family. Shen Qiao and I were twins, born identical, and grew up together, inseparable. We are almost identical in appearance and voice, and even our talents are nearly the same, but as we have grown older, our personalities have shown some differences..."