Chapter 48 Decluttering: If you're going to declutter, then declutter completely! ...

*

The gate is majestic, and the stone lions are imposing.

Mu Lin stepped over the threshold of the side gate of the Marquis's residence, handing the riding whip to his attendant as he asked the servant who came out to greet him, "Where is the Madam?"

The servant replied, "The madam went to the old madam's place half an hour ago, and she should not have returned yet."

Mu Lin hummed in agreement and strode towards Ning's courtyard.

Before even entering the courtyard, one could sense that something was amiss. Immediately, the light steps faltered, and the exuberant heart gradually subsided.

In the room just a door away, Jiang Yingshui frowned, her brow furrowed.

Ning's expression wasn't much better; her dignified face clearly showed displeasure. "How could such a thing happen? What kind of fate does Linlang have? The daughter she raised for over ten years isn't her biological child, and the biological one... how heartbroken she must be."

“Mother, the issue right now isn’t whether Madam Yu is hurt or not, but rather the verbal agreement between our two families. You met that child last time; he’s quite naive. If the Yu family brings up the marriage proposal, how should we respond?”

"Didn't we agree on that?"

“How can a mental illness be cured so easily? Perhaps it’s just a cover-up.” Jiang Yingshui suddenly became serious, as if she had made up her mind. “Mother, regardless of whether the person is cured or not, I do not agree to this marriage.”

Just as Mu Lin was about to enter the house, he heard these words from his own mother.

He immediately lifted the curtain, went inside, and declared, "Grandmother, Mother, I've heard that Miss Ali is Madam Yu's biological daughter, and that she's recovered. Please help me by sending someone to propose marriage."

"Ah Lin!" Jiang Yingshui called out in a low voice, displeased. "I will discuss this matter with your grandmother."

“Mother, Jingliang told me that Miss Ali has fully recovered and is no different from an ordinary person. Why don’t you take another look at her?”

"If it's really all good..."

Before Ning could speak, Jiang Yingshui interrupted her, "Mother, don't you find this matter strange? One is her own granddaughter, and the other is her granddaughter-in-law. How could Old Madam Yu do such a thing? In my opinion, it's hard to say that she wasn't instigated by her own daughter to be so confused. That Yu Qingxue is of questionable character; what good could a child she raise be?"

She dared to say that Yu Qingxue was of bad character, and she certainly had her reasons.

Back then, Yu Qingxue was determined to marry into the Marquis's family. Somehow, she found out that Yu Qingxue was in contact with Mu Wei. She secretly approached Yu Qingxue and said some very offensive things to her.

They said she was the daughter of a merchant and unworthy of the heir of the Marquis's mansion; they called her a vixen who shamelessly seduced men; they also said she was delusional and that even becoming a concubine in the Marquis's mansion was a step up for her.

At that time, she and Mu Wei were in love, but they were not engaged. She thought Yu Qingxue was some relative of the Mu family, someone sent by Ning Shi to humiliate her, and she was heartbroken for many days because of this.

“Mother, as you know, Yu Qingxue once harassed the Marquis, shamelessly blocking him outside the Divine Martial Camp. If it weren’t for my elder sister’s intervention, who knows how much gossip would have spread.”

Ning knew these things, and her brows furrowed even more upon hearing this.

"Logically speaking, she is Linlang's flesh and blood..."

"After being exposed to this for over a decade, how could he not be influenced? Mother, I know you love Madam Yu, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you treat her like your own daughter, but Ah Lin is your own grandson. You can't treat him like this."

"Mother, I'm not wronged..."

"What do you know!" Jiang Yingshui's family were imperial merchants. Although they operated under the royal banner, they were still considered merchants in the eyes of powerful and influential families, and their status was ultimately inferior.

She had been married into the Marquis's household for many years and had always been obedient. This was the first time she had insisted on her own ideas like this.

There are two reasons: one is because of Yu Qingxue, and the other is because of Shen Linlang.

If Yu Qingxue made her feel uncomfortable and made her feel bad just thinking about her, then Shen Linlang was a taboo subject that she didn't want to touch, someone she wished she could avoid and stay away from.

Ning Shi liked Shen Linlang, saying she treated her like her own daughter, but in reality she just wanted Shen Linlang to be her daughter-in-law. If Shen Linlang hadn't taken a liking to Yu Zhiheng and insisted on marrying down, she wouldn't have gotten the position of the Marquis's daughter-in-law.

She was unwilling to form a marriage alliance with the Yu family from the beginning, and did not want to become in-laws with Shen Linlang. Two years ago, when Ning proposed the marriage alliance, she deliberately asked Mu Lin to go and meet her, which was actually her own selfish motive.

Secretly, Mu Lin thought that Yu Liuzhu was too delicate and pampered, the kind of girl her son would never like. Little did she expect that, by a twist of fate, Mu Lin would not see Yu Liuzhu, but instead meet Shen Qinglu at night and immediately agree to the marriage upon his return.

Yu Liuzhu resembled Yu Qingxue somewhat, which she never really liked. However, since Ning Shi was in charge, she, as the daughter-in-law, couldn't object, so she suppressed her dislike and didn't object.

Shen Qinglu is not only resembling Yu Qingxue, who raised her for over a decade, but also Shen Linlang's biological daughter. For Shen Qinglu, this doubled the difficulty of accepting the situation, making it impossible for her to suppress the anger.

"Ah Lin, I don't agree to this marriage!"

He then said to Madam Ning, "Mother, please think it over carefully. Don't let our Marquis's mansion become a laughing stock in the entire Donglin City. If Madam Yu is sensible, she will not bring up the marriage agreement on her own initiative."

This was the first time Ning had seen her so resolute, and she was quite surprised.

What was even more surprising was that she didn't stay until the end as usual, but instead said that she wasn't feeling well and asked Mu Lin to leave with her.

Halfway there, the mother and son got into an argument. One disagreed, while the other insisted on marrying, and they parted on bad terms.

Young and impetuous, Mu Lin stormed through the garden and headed straight for the small courtyard behind the bamboo grove. After knocking on the door and waiting for a long time without receiving a response, he immediately turned around and left the mansion.

They rode swiftly along the road, circling around to the back gate of Da Xuan Kong Temple.

He entered through the back door, striding confidently as if he knew the way inside.

Suddenly, the sound of a zither entered my ears, like a high mountain stream, a melody that is too lofty for most listeners.

He followed the sound of the zither until he came into view of the bamboo forest.

Amidst the deep, lush greenery, a splash of white stands out, resembling unmelted snow from last winter or a cloud fallen from the sky.

When the song ended, Mu Hanshi finally looked up at him.

He stepped forward, his voice low, "Ninth Uncle, my mother doesn't agree."

"Are you trying to say again that if you can't marry that person, you might as well not be the crown prince?"

“I…” He was still a little angry, but quickly calmed down. “This time it’s different. She used to be a cousin of the Yu family. Now she is the Yu family’s own daughter, General Shen’s own niece. There are too many entanglements, so I can’t act arbitrarily.”

Mu Hanshi slowly stood up, his hands behind his back, "It's rare that you can still think of these things."

“My mother says that children resemble their parents, and she’s afraid that Miss Ali will be like her aunt, with impure thoughts. She also says it’s for my own good, to prevent me from being deceived. If my mother doesn’t like her, even if I insist on marrying her, it will be incredibly easy for her to make things difficult for her in the future. Uncle Jiu, what do you think I should do to make my mother like her?”

The young man poured out his heart to his uncle, who was only a few years older than him, without reservation. He lacked the composure others saw in him and instead displayed a more spirited and unrestrained nature.

That face, which should have been gentle and refined, had the sharp edge that a martial artist unconsciously revealed, like a newly forged sword, with a sharpness between his brows and eyes.

Mu Hanshi looked at him, yet it wasn't as if he was looking at him. "You've only seen her a few times, yet you're so deeply in love. What is the reason for this?"

“I…” His sharp expression gradually turned into shyness, “I can’t really explain it. Maybe it’s because she’s straightforward and simple, or maybe it’s because she’s different from other girls. Also, she’s very beautiful, and her smile is especially lovely.”

"What you see may be one side of her. If she had a completely different side, a deep mind, and a bold and unpredictable way of doing things, would you still like her?"

"Ninth Uncle, how come you, like my mother, harbor prejudice against her..."

Mu Hanshi suddenly moved and floated in front of him. His calm, mirror-like gaze seemed to see into the depths of his heart. "Ah Lin, if she is the kind of person I'm talking about, tell me, would you still be fond of her?"

"I..." Mu Lin didn't know how to answer for a moment.

In a moment, Mu Hanshi had retreated several steps away, standing quietly with his eyes lowered, like a divine being in silence.

“Ah Lin, true love for someone means liking everything about them, not just what you think they are.”

Mu Lin had always looked up to this Ninth Uncle, but upon hearing these words, he had a sudden feeling that the Ninth Uncle, who was untouched by worldly affairs, had become more approachable, and he felt a strange sense of closeness to him.

"Uncle Jiu, do you have someone you love?"

Mu Hanshi did not deny it, his eyes filled with the swaying bamboo leaves.

After a long silence, just when Mu Lin thought he wouldn't answer her, he said something that seemed related yet unrelated: "I once tried to see what the other side of this bamboo was like, and imagined countless possibilities for it. Unfortunately, I will never have the chance to see it again."

Mu Lin felt completely bewildered.

He suddenly thought of the bamboo forest painting and wondered if the girl Uncle Jiu was in love with was related to bamboo.

"Uncle Jiu, you..."

Before he could ask any more questions, Mu Hanshi said to him, "Ah Lin, you shouldn't ask me. You should ask yourself. If you are sure it's her, if you like everything about her, then nothing in this world can stand in your way. Of course, most importantly, you should ask her if she is in love with you."

"I...I'll think it through, and I'll ask," he murmured.

The wind, carrying the fresh scent of bamboo leaves, carried him away until he was no longer visible.

The people in the bamboo forest remained in the same posture as before, as if they wanted to be forever immersed in that greenery.

Yang Zhen appeared quietly, tidied up the musical instruments, and stood silently to the side.

His gaze fell upon the hands of the person standing with their hands clasped behind their back. "My lord, do you need some medicine for the wound on your hand?"

Mu Hanshi lowered his eyes and glanced at the discolored teeth marks. "No need."

*

As dusk settled, Yu Zhiheng returned home.

Shen Linlang waited and waited, but he did not return to the main courtyard. Instead, he sent a servant to fetch daily necessities, saying that there were many matters to attend to in the Jixian Hall and that he had been staying in the study recently.

Previously, Yu Jingxian had also sent someone to collect his belongings, saying that he had a lot of homework and needed to stay with Master Tang for a while.

Whether it was due to tacit understanding or a pre-arranged agreement, the father and son were not aware of each other's actions.

There was no wind that night, but people's hearts were not at peace. Shen Linlang didn't sleep well all night. When she got up in the morning, she held her forehead and rubbed it with her eyes closed for a while before she could recover.

When Shen Qinglu arrived, she had been sitting there for a long time, her tea had gone cold, and she hadn't taken a single sip.

Shen Qinglu had heard about Yu Zhiheng sleeping in the study and Yu Jingxian not returning home. There was no need to inquire about such things; Bao Kui had told her on her own initiative.

"Ah Li, how did you sleep last night?" She put down her tea and asked with a forced smile.

"The mattress was soft and the room was warm. I have never slept so well."

Shen Qinglu's words immediately dispelled the resentment she felt for her husband and eldest son's avoidance of her, replaced by a strong desire to make amends for her daughter whom she had lost and then regained.

The kitchen managed to come up with all sorts of creative dishes just for breakfast, as if it wanted to make up for all the shortcomings of the past ten years.

After the mother and daughter finished their meal, Granny Yu reported that everything in Liufang Xiaozhu had been tidied up, but the clothes and other items were too difficult to move and were waiting for them to handle.

As for the most valuable and easily movable items, they were quickly presented to them.

Several boxes of jewelry and other precious items were laid out on the table, containing everything from head to toe ornaments. The gold was dazzling, the jade was lustrous, the gemstones were brilliant, and the pearls were shimmering, a dazzling array that was hard to look away from.

Shen Linlang handed all these things over to Shen Qinglu, leaving it to her to decide whether to keep them, remelt and remake them, or pawn and sell them.

The atmosphere became heavy, making people feel uncomfortable.

This is not an ordinary decluttering; it severs the bond between mother and daughter that has lasted for more than a decade, discards the emotions that are drawn from flesh and blood, and separates from all the little things that have been shared over a long period of time.

Her hand traced over the cold gold and jade treasures, her eyes revealing an innate indifference, but when she looked up, her gaze was full of doubt. "Mother, I don't understand these things. If we sell them, what are the procedures?"

If we're going to cut ties, let's do it cleanly!

Shen Linlang paused for a moment, then said, "Selling it to a familiar gold and silver jewelry shop would be the best option, as you can also use the old item to offset the cost of the new one, which is also quite suitable."

"Does the shop sell everything?" Shen Qinglu's eyes lit up, full of surprise and curiosity.

Upon meeting her gaze, Shen Linlang felt a sharp pang in her heart, cursing herself for being so foolish as to dwell on the past and forgetting the kind of life her child had lived all these years, never even visiting a shop since birth.

He immediately ordered a carriage to be prepared so that he could take her out.

She feigned curiosity and joy, but the happiness in her bright, black eyes and brows only brought tears to Shen Linlang's eyes.

This was her second time going out. The last time, she went straight to the General's Mansion without stopping. Xiang City happened to be located in the middle of the route between the two mansions.

Even in broad daylight, the restaurants and singing houses were still packed with customers, and the sounds of music and the aroma of wine filled the air. The antique charm and prosperity were no less than the bustling activity of later generations.

The streets were crowded. Shen Linlang pointed to the area where dance halls and gambling dens were clustered together and said to Shen Qinglu, "Ali, remember, don't go to those places ahead."

Shen Qinglu feigned ignorance and obediently agreed. When her dark eyes swept forward, she suddenly saw a man wearing a straw hat squatting by the roadside. The man's clothes were very ordinary, and he looked like a laborer. He was eating a steamed bun with his head down.

“Ah Li, what are you looking at… Hey, why does that person’s figure look like Erlang…” Shen Linlang was about to go over when Shen Qinglu grabbed her.

"Mother, if it is Second Brother, then perhaps he is carrying out some secret business."

"Look at my brain!" Shen Linlang slapped her head in frustration. "That's how the Divine Martial Guard is. Back when your uncle was young, he disguised himself quite a lot. I was very envious of him at the time and once boasted that I wanted to join the Divine Martial Guard too."

Are there any women in the Divine Martial Camp?

"Yes, Mu Lin's aunt, Mu Miaohua, is also a good friend of mine. She was originally from the Divine Martial Guard and was later transferred to the palace. Now she is the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard in the Forbidden Court."

As Shen Linlang spoke, her eyes held a mixture of nostalgia and a touch of sadness.

She and Mu Miaohua were childhood friends who grew up together. They both practiced martial arts from a young age, shared common interests, and had very compatible personalities. Back then, they were known as the two beauties of the Eastern Lin City.

They once shared the same goal: to pass the Shenwu Camp's assessment and become a Shenwu Guard.

"Then why didn't you become a member of the Divine Martial Guard later?" Shen Qinglu asked her.

What else could it be?

Naturally, it's because getting married and having children means putting aside all the things she wanted to do when she was young.

She looked somewhat lost, forcing a smile, "It's all in the past, why bring it up again?"

“Mother, it’s never too late if there’s something you want to do.”

“Ah Li…”

At that moment, the person squatting by the roadside suddenly stood up and pounced on a middle-aged man with a full beard.

As they grappled, an arrow whistled through the air. The man happened to flip the roadside over so that it was directly in front of the arrowhead. The arrowhead hurtled like a whirlwind, and just as it was about to strike, it inexplicably fell to the ground.

At the same time, something bounced next to Shen Qinglu and she stepped on it.

Shen Linlang's attention was entirely focused on that area. Only when she saw two people run up and help the passerby subdue the middle-aged man did she finally relax.

Someone asked in surprise, "What happened? Did someone just fire an arrow?"

The passerby had already picked up the arrow from the ground and put it away. He replied in a deep voice, "There are no arrows. You must be seeing things. It's just that my cousin suddenly fell ill, and we're taking him away now."

Even though he deliberately changed his voice, the mother and daughter could still tell that the person was Yu Jingliang.

Yu Jingliang also saw them and nodded to them.

The other two were not hard to guess from their figures. One should be Mu Lin, and the other was looking in their direction. Even though he had disguised himself, he still gave people a feminine feeling.

The three men took the gagged middle-aged man away, turned a corner, and went into a small alley, barely attracting anyone's attention.

Once everything had calmed down and the market had returned to its bustling order, Shen Qinglu quietly moved her foot. Under her feet was a round Buddhist prayer bead. The bead was of excellent quality, likely made of sandalwood, and it smelled of sandalwood along with a faint scent of bamboo.

She held the prayer beads in her palm and looked up, following her senses.

Rows of shops, most of them with two floors, some with windows closed, some with windows shut, and some with windows half open.

Her gaze quickly settled on one of the rooms, and from a distance, met the calm eyes of the person standing behind the half-open window.

Logically, she should have been grateful to the person who saved her brother's life, but she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

Why is this Mu Laojiu everywhere?!

Yang Zhen peeked out and was suddenly met with this eye roll. He instinctively looked at his master.

This sight was even more shocking.

The man, born with an air of nobility, had a face as cold as snow, yet there was no trace of coldness on it. His eyes, like a lake, rippled with subtle emotions, as if the spring breeze and warm waters were the first to know.

In ten years of serving his master, he had never seen such a master before. It was as if a heartless person had finally grown a heart and begun to awaken the seven emotions and six desires of a human being.

Suddenly, a thought struck him: Could it be the person who bit his master...?

Is that the girl, Ali?!