Chapter 130 What is Wen Ningning’s secret?

Xie Guanlan laughed softly twice.

After laughing, he said quietly, "Is it Mu Zhiqiu's idea, or your own?"

"It was my own idea! I know my sister admires and loves you, so I want to help her! No matter how powerful your Zhenbei Palace is, there is still an emperor above you. If Prince Xie doesn't want the emperor to know about your recruitment and expansion of the army, I advise you to marry my sister obediently! If our two families become a close relationship, my family will naturally speak well of you in front of the emperor!"

The boy was young and seemed to be quite favored at home, so he spoke in a rude and aggressive tone.

But Xie Guanlan hated being controlled by others the most, let alone by such a young boy.

There was a hint of danger in his voice. "Go ahead and tell me."

"Wha…what?"

"Fushan, see the guests off."

Mu Dong was kicked out of the study. Veins popped out of his neck and he punched the door frame fiercely. "Xie Guanlan, don't regret this!"

Noticing Wen Xingluo standing next to him, he flew into a rage, "You're the bitch who harmed my sister, right?! I'm going to seek justice for my sister right now!"

He raised his fist and punched Wen Xingluo.

Before the fist could land, a figure in snow-white clothes stood in front of the girl.

Xie Yanchen held the box in one hand and held Mu Dong's fist with the other, smiling and saying, "Little brother, this is the Zhenbei Palace, not a place for you to act wildly."

"Who are you?!"

Mu Dong was furious and wanted to attack, but was knocked to the ground by Xie Yanchen.

Although Xie Yanchen couldn't beat Xie Guanlan, he was more than capable of dealing with Mu Dong. He was holding the box in his hand and beat Mu Dong with one hand until he was black and blue.

Mu Zhiqiu rushed over after hearing the news and saw his brother lying on the ground crying.

She quickly helped Mu Dong up and looked at Wen Xingluo angrily, "We're even now. Why are you trying to stir up trouble again and hurt my brother?! Is this how the Zhenbei Palace treats guests?!"

Xie Yanchen stood in front of Wen Xingluo, still smiling, "If Miss Mu doesn't like the hospitality of the Zhenbei Palace, you can move out!"

Xie Guanlan appeared under the eaves, also blocking Wen Xingluo's way. His voice was cold and distant, "Mu Dong was rude to my sister first, and I was just giving him a lesson. Before Miss Mu asks you to hold her accountable, you might as well find out the whole story first."

Mu Zhiqiu stared at them closely.

They really care about Wen Xingluo.

Even if it means offending the Mu family for her, they will do it.

Obviously, she and Wen Xingluo were both unmarried girls, but Wen Xingluo was well protected, while she could only fight alone, relying on her own wisdom, shouldering the family mission, and gritting her teeth to support the Mu family to rise step by step.

Her father and brother came from a humble family and had a low status. They seemed to be the emperor's confidants and up-and-coming officials in the court, but in fact they were just the emperor's lackeys. They did not have high aspirations. The reason they reached their current position was purely because of her behind-the-scenes instigation and advice.

She wanted to marry Xie Guanlan because she admired Qiang.

She didn't want to always support and protect her father and brother.

She hoped that when she was tired, there would be a powerful person to stand up and support her, and help her to build her family to a height that ordinary prominent families could not reach.

Mu Zhiqiu looked at Wen Xingluo's clean white skirt and suddenly felt a desire to replace her.

If Wen Xingluo's connections and resources in the Zhenbei Palace were given to her, she could do more things that would benefit the Mu family.

"Miss Wen," Mu Zhiqiu said in a hoarse voice that seemed to carry the most biting chill of the autumn wind. "The charity sale will be held as scheduled. At that time, the item containing your secret will also appear. Whether you can take a picture of it depends on your chips and luck."

Her face was cold and she helped Mu Dong leave Canglang Pavilion.

"Secret?" Xie Yanchen was curious, turning to look at Wen Xingluo with a smile, "What is my sister's secret?"

Wen Xingluo said nothing.

Entering the study, she placed the box on the table and said, "I made a few plates of cakes for my eldest brother."

"What a coincidence," Xie Yanchen also opened his own savings box, "I also made cakes for you, brother. That night, you damaged my sachet and beat me up. I was very angry at first, but then I went home and thought about it, thinking that I must have done something wrong to make you unhappy. So I made cakes myself to apologize to you, brother."

There were more than a dozen plates of pastries on the table, which looked full. At first glance, it was impossible to tell which ones were made by Wen Xingluo and which ones were made by Xie Yanchen.

Xie Guanlan sat down and picked up a piece of white crane pattern from the plate and tasted it.

He said, "Not bad."

Wen Xingluo held her handkerchief and smiled sweetly, "I made this dish."

Xie Guanlan picked up another piece of cake with a mountain pattern and tasted it, saying, "It's sweet but not greasy. The craftsmanship is excellent."

Wen Xingluo arched his brows, "Thank you for the compliment, brother."

Xie Guanlan never eats sweets, but he tried seven or eight plates of snacks with different flavors in a row.

He remembered the misunderstanding between him and Wen Xingluo, and knew that she wanted to make him pastries with mountain, pine and crane patterns.

He didn't want to disappoint the little girl.

Xie Yanchen looked at the plates of snacks he had made, looked at Xie Guanlan, and then at Wen Xingluo.

wrong.

Something is wrong...

Why are all the pastries that brother eats made by his sister?

They were clearly using the same plates, so how did he tell them apart?

There's something wrong with these two people.

Xie Yanchen felt a little aggrieved, "Brother, why do you only eat what my sister cooks, but won't try what I cook?"

Xie Guanlan was silent.

Wen Ningning has suffered a lot of injustice these days. He is so busy coaxing her that he has no time to care about him, the culprit.

After a long while, he said perfunctorily, "Save yours for dinner."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanchen realized that his brother still loved him, and he became happy again.

After he left happily, Wen Xingluo was still standing in the study.

She raised her eyelashes and met Xie Guanlan's gaze, saying softly, "The Emperor has established a rule that the number of troops under the command of the princes cannot exceed a certain number in order to maintain the balance of the world. My eldest brother wants to recruit and expand his army, but without the cooperation of the prefectural governor's office, it will be difficult to hide this from the Emperor. Moreover, the southwestern countries are eyeing him covetously. Even if my eldest brother wants to gamble everything, he will be restrained by the countries in the rear."

Although she was young, she could see Xie Guanlan's concerns.

Xie Guanlan chuckled, "Go on."

Wen Xingluo sat down beside him and pieced together the tea cakes with mountain patterns on the plate.

Those tea cakes gradually formed a map of the southwest.

The girl tapped a few tea cakes with her slender white fingertips. "It's not necessary to conquer the southwestern kingdoms to establish a stable rear base. In the past, these kingdoms traded with Shu Commandery, often exchanging horses, cattle, and sheep for tea and silk. Later, due to years of war, this trade was abolished. If the ancient Tea-Horse Road is reopened, cooperation will be mutually beneficial, and peaceful coexistence may be possible. And if we rewrite the horses we earned as cattle and sheep on the books, I wonder if we can deceive the public?"

To expand the army, we must have strong soldiers and horses.

Obtaining excellent war horses through trade is of great benefit to the training of cavalry.

Xie Guanlan looked at her. "You don't want me to marry Mu Zhiqiu, nor do you want me to cooperate with the Mu family, so you offered this plan, right?"

Wen Xingluo neither admitted nor denied it, but just took a bite of the tea cake.

The faint fragrance of sweet tea spread between her lips and teeth. She heard Xie Guanlan ask, "What is Wen Ningning's secret?"