Chapter 294 Forgetting One's Ancestors

Three days later, at dawn, the ancient cypress trees stood tall inside Qingwei Temple, and the lingering sound of bells and chimes drifted through the air.

Inside a secluded room on the back mountain of the Taoist temple, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and the decor was elegant and refined.

When Mu Xi led Dai Xin and a dozen guards into the hermitage, Marquis Yong, Shen Qiao, also known as the fake Shen Lun, was already sitting on a futon in a gray scholar's robe. A pot of tea was brewing on a low table in front of him. He was calm and composed. If it weren't for the several guards with knives standing behind him, he would really look like a high-minded scholar who had come here to meditate.

Mu Xi looked surprised by Shen Qiao's early appearance.

Shen Qiao glanced at Mu Xi with his long, willow-leaf eyes, gestured for her to sit, but then curled his lips into a slight sneer: "It seems that I should really address you as Lord now."

“Then I should address you as ‘Uncle Shen Qiao’,” Mu Xi retorted, standing there without taking a seat.

Shen Qiao didn't answer, but instead glanced behind Mu Xi and asked, "Where is he?"

Mu Xi glanced behind Shen Qiao and asked, "Where is Mu Xun? If I see Mu Xun today, then you will naturally see your brother, Lord Marquis."

Shen Qiao paused slightly as he held the teapot, preparing to pour tea for Mu Xi. The faint smile on his face gradually cooled: "You don't really think you can blackmail me by rescuing that madman, do you? I'm only keeping him alive because he has the blood of the Shen family. Do you think I care about his life or death? Do you think I care about you revealing those old stories? Those things are just empty words, who would believe them? But since you, my lord, have come to my door today, if you can lend me a hand, I can seize control of Yan Sheng's power."

“You’re dreaming.” Mu Xi followed suit, adopting a calm and composed attitude, ready for a long negotiation. “But you should think about it from the other side, Marquis. So what if the world doesn’t believe me? Why should I really need people to believe me? It’s enough as long as they doubt you.”

Shen Qiao seemed to have some doubts in his heart. He suddenly stood up and said with a sarcastic tone, "More than 20 years have passed. The world only recognizes me as 'Marquis Shen Lun of Yongguo.' Who has the time to investigate a case from more than 20 years ago that has no evidence? On the contrary, you have come to our door today. The newly promoted Lord Jin Fang has the troops of both the Southern and Western territories. You are very popular. Why don't you cooperate with your uncle? In the end, we are still family."

"Cooperation? What is there for us to cooperate on? Even if your identity is real, let alone fake, you are nothing more than a courtier. What qualifications do you have to talk about cooperation with me?" Mu Xi finally had the confidence to say such things in front of Shen Qiao.

Shen Qiao sneered: "I knew you'd say that, given your temperament. But I'm not here to negotiate. Do you really think that you, a half-independent Western Territory Lord, can completely control the Southern Territory? Don't forget, this is the ancestral land of the Shen clan."

As soon as the words "Shen Family Ancestral Land" were uttered, Shen Qiao slammed the teacup in front of him to the ground with his sleeve.

Suddenly, a series of whooshing sounds filled the air outside the study.

"Not good, there's an ambush." ​​Dai Xin and an elite soldier behind him immediately drew their swords and guarded Mu Xi from all sides.

Mu Xi remained unfazed by this sudden turn of events: "Does the Marquis think that I only brought this few men with me?"

Shen Qiao sneered and retorted, "So you don't think you can roam freely in my Qinzhou territory with only ten thousand elite troops, do you?"

"What do you mean? Are you saying you can mobilize the garrison of Qinzhou City?" Mu Xi's expression turned grim.

Shen Qiao raised a slight eyebrow: "It's not just Qinzhou City, I can mobilize the entire eight prefectures of Qinzhou. Ever since you led your army into Qinzhou, I have been fully aware of your movements. What truly surprised me was that that old scoundrel Qi Qingyuan actually dared to secretly investigate me, and you actually joined forces to rescue him."

"You can mobilize troops from all eight prefectures of Qinzhou?" Mu Xi found it hard to believe.

Shen Qiao's insightful eyes flickered between light and shadow: "Let me teach you a lesson. You can't be too hasty in everything. If you want to take control of the Southern Territory as soon as possible but you lack money and food, then start with the local high-ranking clans. Don't you think about your own background? Which clan isn't deeply entrenched? How could they easily compromise with you, or easily give up their centuries-old interests?"

“That’s how it is…” Mu Xi nodded. “What you said does make some sense, but since you’ve come here in person today, the powerful clans you rely on can’t save you.”

"What did you say?" Shen Qiao immediately retreated cautiously, and several guards immediately surrounded him to protect him.

Mu Xi smiled: "Does the Marquis think that you can escape unscathed with just these few elite guards around you?"

Shen Qiao wasn't really panicked: "Of course I know you've deployed troops inside and outside this Taoist temple, but don't forget the saying 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' Right outside your layers of troops, I've already turned the tables on you."

"Encirclement and counter-encirclement, is that it?" Mu Xi remained calm and composed. "As fellow soldiers of the Southern Border, we still need to preserve our strength. I don't want to waste my troops on such a pointless matter. Why don't we make a deal?"

"Let's discuss it?" Shen Qiao was somewhat unsure about Mu Xi's attitude.

Mu Xi said, "As long as you hand over Mu Xun now, I will save myself a lot of effort and avoid internal strife in the Southern Border. I promise to spare your life afterwards."

Shen Qiao sneered disdainfully: "What do you think I came here for today? How could a mere woman like you establish yourself as a queen? You've only managed it by borrowing the prestige of the Mu family. Now that the Mu family is gone, there is no one who can truly inherit the throne. In that case, why leave a mere woman like you here to cause trouble? I'd rather support a new ruler."

"Establish a new ruler? Who is your new ruler?" Mu Xi frowned slightly, clearly the new ruler Shen Qiao mentioned could not be Mu Xun, the former grandson of the Prince of Yan.

"Hehe... Heaven and earth are a stage, one act ends and another begins. Besides, Yan Sheng is just a continent on the sea. Who rules this continent? Over the centuries, it has changed hands many times. What does it matter who it is?" Shen Qiao sneered but did not answer directly.

But Mu Xi sensed something amiss: "Which faction in Jiuyou are you planning to cooperate with, inviting a wolf into your house?"

Shen Qiao smiled dismissively and remained silent, but his attitude spoke volumes.

"How is this any different from colluding with pirates, forgetting one's ancestors, and selling out one's country for personal gain?" Mu Xi hadn't expected the bottom line to be even lower.

Shen Qiao didn't take it seriously: "You petty people are nothing but frogs in a well. What do you know? Who decided that as long as you are born here, you belong here? People in this world just rely on their own abilities to eat the meat they can eat and grab the treasures they can grab."

"So, it's a matter of skill, huh? Since that's what you've said, Lord Marquis, then I don't need to hold back anymore." Mu Xi was no longer willing to listen to the bandit's logic. "Make your move..."