Chapter 293 Hostage Exchange

"Hmph, a little different? That's a huge difference, isn't it?" Doctor Luo sneered from the side.

Zhen Shenlun shook his head slightly, as if about to give a bitter smile, but in reality, his face remained expressionless: "In terms of talent and temperament, we were no different from each other at the beginning. It's just that I preferred poetry, books, etiquette, and the beauty of nature, while he preferred wit, ingenuity, and sorcery. However, because my father was the prime minister at the time, he deeply valued the path of cultivating talent through benevolence and virtue, and he was not very fond of his temperament. My father once commented on the two of us, praising my wisdom, but saying that he was only clever and would not achieve great things. Perhaps he didn't take it to heart once or twice, but as the two of us grew up, and after I was fortunate enough to gain some fame in my youth, the jealousy and hatred that had accumulated in his heart must have become extremely deep."

"Just because of jealousy?" Mu Xi couldn't believe it.

Zhen Shenlun remained expressionless, his voice devoid of anger, only filled with a sigh: "Others may not understand this, but he and I are twin brothers. Over the years, upon careful reflection, he... also had a difficult time back then, and I, as his elder brother, have been negligent."

Mu Xi didn't know how to comment on this kind of "Stockholm syndrome" symptom, so she simply remained silent and asked, "When was my uncle imprisoned? Was the destruction of Qianyan back then also orchestrated by the current Marquis Shen?"

"As for the time..." Zhen Shenlun seemed to struggle to recall before answering, "Back then, Dayan was already in decline, and my father was working tirelessly. My father and I were both trying to turn the tide, but he was the only one left behind when things changed in our hometown of Qinzhou."

"What changes?" Mu Xi asked urgently.

Zhen Shenlun hadn't gone into much detail before, so he only went into a few words: "That time I went back to my hometown to visit my mother and spend the New Year with her, he pulled me into studying witchcraft. We were both quite interested in witchcraft back then, but I wasn't wary of his intentions, and in the end he used it on me. He planted a Gu worm in me, causing me to lose my mind, and even took the opportunity to switch identities. You all know roughly what happened after that, so I don't need to go into details."

Mu Xi and Doctor Luo remained silent.

Zhen Shenlun added, "Brother Luo has already told me roughly what happened afterward. All I can say now is that, based on my understanding of my father, he would not betray his country and his master, much less become a traitor who serves three masters. Back then, he must have impersonated me and used some means on my father to openly persuade those scholars, students, and scions of noble families to surrender to the Mu family traitors without resistance."

"Uh..." Mu Xi opened her mouth awkwardly. It was the first time someone had called the Mu family traitors to her face, and she really didn't know what to say.

Zhen Shenlun belatedly noticed Mu Xi's embarrassment and glanced at her a few more times: "I didn't expect that he would later marry Ying'er to Mu Zhen. I do have some impression of Mu Zhen. Compared to the other members of the Mu family... he might be a little better, but he's still just a warrior. Given Ying'er's personality, she might not like it, but I'm afraid her father and brothers were already gone by then, and she had no choice in the matter. However, your eyes are very much like Ying'er's, and you were able to do what you did today, so your personality is probably not the same as your father's."

They're not just different, they're completely unrelated!

But Mu Xi couldn't say it like that, so she could only force a smile and say, "We should help those who are reasonable, not those who are close to us. Justice will prevail in the hearts of the people."

Zhen Shenlun nodded, his face still expressionless, but he seemed satisfied with the answer. Then he sighed, "I just never thought that my Shen family, a family of scholars for generations, would have its reputation ruined by Shen Qiao. I'm afraid our ancestors in heaven will not be able to rest in peace."

Mu Xi didn't care about that question, and instead asked, "What happened next? Since your uncle was infected with the worm, he seems perfectly normal now. Surely he didn't take pity on you and help you get rid of the worm?"

"Shen Qiao's witchcraft is nothing special. I was poisoned by it but didn't take precautions. The effects of the poison worms faded within a few months, and I eventually forcibly dug them out of my body." Zhen Shenlun said casually, but when he turned his head, he revealed a hideous scar on the back of his neck.

The scar was uneven, like a blood-red eye, and even after so many years, the color had not faded but had become darker.

Previously, Zhen Shenqiao always had his hair down, making him difficult for outsiders to see. However, when he saw Mu Xi again, he had tied his hair up, which allowed Mu Xi and Doctor Luo to see him.

Mu Xi glanced at it once and then looked away. The wound was clearly cut open with some blunt instrument, and it was painful to look at.

Doctor Luo stared at it carefully for a long time, his brows furrowed: "Won't this scar leave any hidden dangers? I'll think of a way to smooth it out for you later."

Zhen Shenlun and Doctor Luo must have had a good relationship back then, so he didn't stand on ceremony: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Luo."

Mu Xi then returned to the main topic: "Uncle, Shen Qiao, using your name, stirred up trouble and was granted a marquisate in the State of Yu. He enjoys the glory that rightfully belongs to you, engaging in despicable and manipulative activities. He wants both power and a clean reputation... He imprisoned you but didn't kill you, probably not just because he fears you will reveal the truth, but also because he wants you to know that he used your identity to do what you 'couldn't do.' So now, Uncle, do you want to turn the tables and take back everything that is rightfully yours?"

"Oh?" Zhen Shenlun's expression showed little surprise, yet he seemed to have already anticipated something. "What does Your Excellency intend to do?"

Mu Xi already had a vague idea, and was just waiting to confirm Shen Lun's identity.

Now that she could confirm it, she didn't hide anything and immediately told him about what had happened between her and the Marquis of Yong, as well as her plans for the future.

After careful consideration, the two, along with Doctor Luo, finalized their plan.

After that, Mu Xi had Doctor Luo settle the real Shen Lun in, while she sent a letter to the fake Shen Lun, who was in the ancestral home in Qinzhou City, demanding that the real Shen Lun be exchanged for Mu Xun. Otherwise, she would reveal the truth to the public.

Enclosed with the letter was a list of former important officials of the Yan dynasty. At the top of the list was Tu Feng, the commander of the Hanhai Army. The names below him were deduced by Zhen Shenlun based on some intelligence he had gathered from Qi Qingyuan and his past observations of former Yan officials.

The purpose of this list is obvious: if Shen Lun does not agree, Mu Xi will not only expose his past misdeeds to the public, but also dismantle his real power among the former subordinates of Qian Yan.

Sure enough, a reply was received the very next day after the letter was sent. The fake Marquis of Shenlunyong, Shen Qiao, agreed to use a Taoist temple called "Qingwei Temple" outside Qinzhou City, which was still quite popular, as the exchange location.

The reason for choosing Qingwei Temple was twofold: firstly, it was definitely not Shen's private property and had no connection with the Marquis of Yong; secondly, choosing a "neutral" location would make the Marquis of Yong more convinced of the sincerity of this hostage exchange.