Chapter 71 Delivering Gifts "Since Lord Mu is so sincere in giving these gifts, then I will..."

Everyone looked at that person, and the atmosphere became strange for a moment.

The man was of medium height, neither tall nor short, neither thin nor fat. His clothes and appearance were ordinary, and he was unremarkable at first glance. He was completely inconspicuous in a crowd, and if he hadn't suddenly spoken, no one would have noticed him at all.

"Who do you think you are? How dare you be so insolent in front of my cousin Rong!" Zhuang Lanyi roared in anger. "What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Girl, spare me! I was just telling the truth..." The man seemed frightened and kept begging for mercy.

Feng Rong glanced at Zhuang Lanyi with displeasure, then said in a friendly voice to the person, "You don't need to be afraid, just tell the truth of what you saw."

The man seemed to be reassured and replied in a low voice, "Just now, Miss Shen and her maid were standing there talking without moving. It was this madam who bumped into them for some reason."

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhuang Lanyi's face turned pale with anger. "You and this idiot are definitely in cahoots, Cousin Rong. Don't believe him. They've definitely conspired to frame me!"

Feng Rong frowned and asked the man, "Are you sure you saw it clearly?"

Under the rule of brute force, countless cannon fodder are annihilated.

Shen Qinglu could easily understand the implication in Feng Rong's question. Before the other person could answer, she directly challenged Zhuang Lanyi, "You said we conspired to frame you. Have you met me before?"

"...Maybe you just don't like me the moment you see me, is that not allowed?" Zhuang Lanyi was stumped by the question, but she still tried to argue.

“You really are an annoying thing. You were irritating the first time I saw you.” Shen Qinglu looked at her with a hint of pity, as if she had just realized something. “It’s good that you have self-awareness.”

Before Zhuang Lanyi could react, she added, "My mother said that if you see something you don't like, you should go around it. I clearly avoided it just now, but this mother still had to run into it. It's so annoying!"

"You're talking complete nonsense, Cousin Rong. Don't believe her. I don't even know her. How could my men have run them over for no reason..."

"That's right, we don't know each other. You wouldn't hit us for no reason, so why would we want to cause trouble by hitting you?"

With her bright red face and innocent, childlike tone, Shen Qinglu perfectly embodied the image of a recently recovered idiot in everyone's eyes.

When Feng Rong looked at her, she didn't look away. Her dark eyes met hers, like an unfathomable chaos, seemingly empty, yet making people want to explore.

Zhuang Lanyi became even more furious when she saw Feng Rong staring at her. "Cousin Rong, don't be fooled by her..."

"How could I possibly lie?" she asked blankly, as if talking to herself. "Am I an idiot? How could an idiot lie?"

How stupid must the person who was scammed be!

Zhuang Lanyi was furious and rushed over to attack, but was stopped by Feng Rong.

A crack seemed to appear on Feng Rong's face, and her downcast gaze clearly showed a hint of disgust. "Cousin Yi, why don't you apologize to Miss Chen right now?"

How could Zhuang Lanyi possibly accept apologizing to Shen Qinglu? She gave the old woman a look.

The old woman hurriedly crawled over and kowtowed to Feng Rong desperately, "Your Highness, it's my fault. I'm old and my eyesight is poor. I almost bumped into someone without realizing it, and I even thought that the other person was trying to bump into me. My young lady is kind-hearted and only wants to protect her people. Please don't blame her."

They said everything, black, white, and red.

“Cousin Rong, Granny Xu is my wet nurse. She is old and her eyesight is not good. Even if she almost bumped into someone, it must have been someone who pushed her, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that’s why she almost fell.”

Zhuang Lanyi wore a smug expression, her gaze towards Shen Qinglu carrying a hint of provocation. "In the end, my people are at fault, and your maid is also at fault. At most, we're even. Miss Shen, don't you think so?"

"Whatever you say goes."

"What do you mean by saying whatever we say goes? We're just stating the facts, don't be ungrateful!"

At this moment, Jiang Xinyue, who had been silent for a long time, finally seized the opportunity to jump in and play the good guy, "Miss Zhuang, don't be angry. Miss Shen has just recovered from her illness and doesn't know many things. Since we've already talked it out, it's just a misunderstanding. Why don't we each take a step back and pretend this never happened?"

Zhuang Lanyi snorted coldly and turned her face away, which was taken as tacit agreement.

It wasn't that she wanted to let Shen Qinglu go, but rather that she didn't want to lose face in front of Feng Rong.

Feng Rong nodded slightly to Jiang Xinyue, who was immediately overwhelmed with excitement. Her emaciated body swayed as if she could not bear it, and her words trembled as she spoke, like a fallen leaf excitedly overwhelmed by the wind.

"Miss Chen, Miss Zhuang has already taken a step back. How about you take a step back too?"

"What do you mean by taking a step back or two steps back? I don't understand. Whatever you say goes."

"How can you talk like that?" Zhuang Lanyi felt that Shen Qinglu was being disrespectful, so she immediately frowned and glared at her aggressively.

Shen Qinglu's eyes remained fixed, her face expressionless. "Why can't I speak like this? Am I an idiot?"

She's practically an idiot; how could she possibly understand other people's hints or speak properly? These people's statements are incoherent; don't they find themselves contradictory and ridiculous?

Although Feng Rong's gaze was kind, she seemed to be deep in thought.

Whether this Miss Shen is foolish or not remains to be seen, but some people are indeed stupid.

Zhuang Lanyi was still unwilling and wanted to say something, but she suddenly met his eyes, which were obviously displeased and oppressive. She immediately felt a little scared and quickly shut her mouth.

Taking advantage of the moment, Shen Qinglu winked at the man, signaling him to leave quickly and not get involved in this mess.

The man must have been quick-witted; after understanding her hint, he quietly backed away.

She noticed that when that person moved, two people not far behind Feng Rong also moved. They walked towards that person, their expressions revealing ill intent.

Just then, someone nearby shouted, "My purse! Who stole my money?"

The onlookers became agitated; some ran, some chased, and some inexplicably joined in the fun. By the time the two men pushed through the crowd, the person had already vanished without a trace.

Frustrated, they exchanged a glance and retreated, continuing to stand not far from Feng Rong.

Shen Qinglu took in everything, understanding it all while also feeling puzzled.

It was clear who those two people were; they were probably Feng Rong's men. The question was about the person from before. Whether it was his fearless act of standing up to testify against powerful figures or his narrow escape earlier, everything seemed somewhat incongruous.

Suddenly, she felt something and looked across the street.

She knew it wasn't her imagination; someone was watching them, or rather, watching her, from behind the second-floor window of the shop in the middle.

As she looked up, Mu Hanshi instantly retreated from the window to the table, his lowered brows filled with admiration and joy, which was undisguised in his expression.

We've been discovered again.

It seems he'll have to be much more careful next time he does something like this.

Just then, two short knocks and one long knock came from outside the door, and Yang Zhen immediately went to open it.

The innkeeper's assistant came in, presented what he had picked off, and said, "I took advantage of the chaos downstairs to steal it."

"In that case, we have much to thank Miss Shen," Yang Zhen said at the opportune moment.

Mu Hanshi glanced at him, seeing through his intentions, but didn't say anything. Instead, she seemed to enjoy it. "You're right. If it weren't for her unintentional actions, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly today."

After saying that, he dipped a little of the substance in his mouth, smelled it, and said casually, "It's a good thing."

*

The hustle and bustle outside the inn subsided, and the crowd dispersed.

Shen Qinglu and Xia Chan, mistress and servant, have left, as has Jiang Xinyue. Only Feng Rong and Zhuang Lanyi, the cousins, remain.

Zhuang Lanyi was clearly there to see Feng Rong, and followed closely behind Feng Rong into the inn.

Feng Rong stood with her hands behind her back in front of the missing person picture, lost in thought.

“Cousin Rong…”

As soon as Zhuang Lanyi spoke, Feng Rong interrupted her, "I have something to do, you go back first."

"I……"

"Don't make me say it a second time."

Throughout the entire process, Feng Rong never looked back at her once. She was very unwilling and full of displeasure, but she had no choice but to leave, turning back every few steps.

His face darkened as soon as he stepped out of the inn.

"One Yu Liuzhu left, and an even more detestable fool came along. It's truly utterly detestable." She turned to the old woman and asked, "Where is Yu Liuzhu now?"

The old woman quickly tried to curry favor, saying, "As soon as the Yu family had this trouble, I sent someone to inquire. I heard that Yu Liuzhu and her mother had nowhere to go after being kicked out, so they went to live in Da Xuan Kong Temple."

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her.” A mocking look appeared on her face. “I remember receiving an invitation from her before the Awakening of Insects, inviting me to a banquet. Now that she’s gone and the banquet is over, I might as well go and see her.”

The conflict between her and Yu Liuzhu has a long history.

Her father was a gambling addict, a fact known throughout the capital. If it weren't for her aunt marrying into the Anyuan Marquis's family, the maternal family of the Prince Xin's wife, and thus establishing a connection with the Prince Xin's family, their family would have been ruined long ago.

Everyone said that she was able to gain a place among the noble ladies in the capital because of the influence of the Marquis's and Prince's mansions. There were two other people in a similar situation: Yu Liuzhu and Jiang Xinyue.

The Yu family was not of high social standing. If it weren't for the fact that she was the niece of the General's Mansion, Yu Liuzhu would not have been able to squeeze into the circle of noble ladies in Donglin City. Similarly, Jiang Xinyue got to know her by virtue of the Marquis of Yongyi's name.

She disliked Yu Liuzhu for two reasons: first, Yu Liuzhu was prettier than her; second, Yu Liuzhu received more praise from the noble ladies of the capital. She courted Jiang Xinyue for two reasons: first, Jiang Xinyue's presence always highlighted her own merits; and second, the Jiang family was incredibly wealthy.

Logically, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so she should have tried to befriend Shen Qinglu. But unfortunately, Shen Qinglu violated two of her taboos. One was appearance, and the other was that she had just mistakenly thought Shen Qinglu was also going to see Feng Rong.

The carriage sped along, and she arrived at Da Xuan Kong Temple at top speed, confronting Yu Liu Zhu.

Yu Liuzhu was not at all surprised that she had come looking for him.

The two had been at odds for years, both openly and covertly. Yu Liuzhu had long anticipated that after she lost power, she would definitely come looking for trouble, though others might not be able to say.

Because during those difficult days in the Marquis's mansion in her previous life, besides Yu Qingxue, there was another person who visited—she. She went there to kick someone when they were down, saying many hurtful things, and Yu Liuzhu still remembers her gloating tone.

"I heard that Prince Mu doesn't want you anymore, so why are you still staying in the Marquis's mansion? You really have no shame. Your great-grandmother and mother-in-law don't like you, and the men don't come to your room. If you really have any backbone, why don't you go to the Shansi Nunnery and get a good reputation for being sensible?"

And this time, her words were still harsh.

"It's only been a short time since I last saw you, how did you change like this? If we met somewhere else, I really wouldn't recognize you at first glance."

Then she circled around Yu Liuzhu, quite pleased with Yu Liuzhu's green dress and plain face. "You should dress like this. You're not worthy of what you wore or wore before."

Yu Liuzhu lowered her head, her former arrogance gone. "You're right. With my current status, this is all I can do."

"It's rare to find someone with such self-awareness." She raised her chin. "It's such a pity that you had your identity stolen by a fool."

"Have you met my sister Ali?" Yu Liuzhu sensed something amiss in her words, and his mind stirred slightly.

The anger in her expression and the annoyance in her eyes clearly told Yu Liuzhu that they had not only met, but also had a conflict.

Yu Liuzhu had lived two lives and had dealt with her many times, both before and after her marriage, so she knew her character very well.

Upon seeing her like this, I knew she must be jealous of Shen Qinglu's appearance.

“Miss Zhuang, I advise you to stay away from my cousin. She may seem simple-minded, but she is actually quite cunning. She is extremely domineering and will fight for and grab everything. Once she sets her sights on something or likes it, no one else is allowed to touch it.”

Look at me, all naked and without makeup, it's all because of her. She forbids me from wearing red anymore, forbids me from wearing floral decorations. If you offend her, she might do the same to you.

"She dares!" Zhuang Lanyi was easily provoked and her anger flared up. "I want to see what she's got the guts to compete with me!"

“Miss Zhuang, you’d better be careful,” Yu Liuzhu said, feigning concern. “If there’s anything I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

"you?"

Zhuang Lanyi looked her up and down, scrutinizing her thoroughly.

She looked at Zhuang Lanyi and said in a very confident tone, "I will help Miss Zhuang clear all obstacles until she gets what she wants."

*

Some things can't be hidden, and there's no need to hide them anymore, so as soon as Shen Qinglu got home, she told Shen Linlang what had happened.

Of course, what should be omitted is omitted, and what should not be said is not said.

After listening, Shen Linlang's expression turned somewhat displeased. "This Xingyi Earl's Mansion is truly rotten to the core. The father dares to accept any kind of money. The Fang family was able to enter the capital only because they climbed up to him. As for the daughter, she is single-mindedly thinking about becoming a phoenix on a branch, without even considering whether she is worthy of him."

Feng Rong is not yet married, and countless people in the capital are watching him. Even if he is not the crown prince, Zhuang Lanyi is still far above him, given his status as the legitimate son of a prince.

Shen Qinglu was not interested in Zhuang Lanyi's thoughts. Even if they became enemies, it was just a squabble between young ladies. But she had to pay attention to the Prince Xin's Mansion and Feng Rong.

"Mother, can the future emperor really only be the son of Prince Xin?"

Shen Linlang shook her head. "I don't know either. His Majesty is still childless at this age, and it's probably very difficult for him to have another child. But His Majesty's brothers who are still alive are not limited to Prince Xin."

"Who else?"

“Prince Chen. He was the thirteenth prince back then. He was less than six years old during the Chiwang Rebellion. It is said that he was seriously injured and has been recuperating outside the capital ever since, and has not appeared in public for many years.”

In the struggle between the imperial family, even brothers can kill each other without mercy, let alone subjects and commoners.

Even though Shen Qinglu was not familiar with the intrigues of the court, she could still see that Prince Xin was wary and dissatisfied with the Shen family. Otherwise, he would not have made such a big fuss over Yu Qingxue's false accusation.

If the ruler commands the subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die.

This anxiety of not knowing when one's family will be raided and one's family executed is not much better than the helplessness of being plagued by illness in one's previous life, not knowing how much longer one could live.

The more she thought about it, the more helpless she felt, and she couldn't help but toss and turn at night.

One moment they think of distant things, the next they think of closer things, from the survival of their families to the events of the day.

The person who secretly helped her...

Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, she put on her clothes and got out of bed.

As soon as she opened the window, a breeze blew in, and she smelled a very faint scent of fresh bamboo.

In a short while, Mu Hanshi arrived before them, like a ghost.

"Did you arrange that person?" Shen Qinglu asked directly.

Mu Hanshi remained noncommittal, his gaze like an all-encompassing net, completely enveloping her.

She felt displeased and glared at him with her dark eyes.

The windows were wide open, leaving no obstruction between the two.

The moon shone brightly, hanging high in the sky. At such a close distance, they could clearly see each other's faces.

"Why?"

Is it because her surname is Chen? Did this person lend a hand because of her uncle?

"The chaos you caused actually did me a favor."

"So we're even." She made a move to close the window, but Mu Hanshi blocked her way.

"There is no clear settlement."

Upon hearing this, she sneered inwardly.

Is Mu Lao Jiu playing some kind of game of taking advantage of her kindness?

“I didn’t ask you for help. In fact, I didn’t want to offend Prince Feng San at all. Before your people spoke up for me, we should have just let this matter drop.”

"Are you really willing to be bitten by someone, then shake hands and make peace with them, or even apologize?"

How could he let his A'Zhu suffer such injustice!

Shen Qinglu, unaware of his thoughts, said, "What is the status of the Third Prince Feng? How can I possibly have the right to object? A moment of patience brings peace, and a step back opens up a vast sky. Our whole family has just been released from prison; it is not advisable to create any further complications."

In her past life, after being adopted, she was raised in a greenhouse, carefully protected, and never experienced the hardships of life or had to deal with the complexities of human relationships.

Looking back now, even if I died young, it was worth it.

She lowered her eyes, concealing the longing within them.

Suddenly, something glittering with gold appeared in her sight.

It was an extremely wide yet exquisitely crafted gold bracelet, inlaid with red gemstones.

"You did me a great favor, and what I'm giving back is a small thing. Consider this a form of compensation."

"This isn't appropriate."

Given their relationship, even if they helped each other, it wouldn't be appropriate to give jewelry as a gift.

"Even the lightest hidden blade is still a bit cumbersome and difficult to conceal. These pear blossom needles are much more suitable for carrying. If you don't want them..."

She realized she had misunderstood and quickly took the gift, saying, "Since Lord Mu is so sincere in giving it to me, then I will accept it."

She would be truly foolish to refuse such a life-saving item.

A hint of a smile flickered in Mu Hanshi's eyes.

The gold bracelet looks quite large, but it's not heavy when you hold it; the ruby ​​is where the mechanism is located.

Such an ingenious device is indeed more convenient and suitable than a hidden blade.

"I don't like killing, so the needles are coated with top-quality sleeping potion," Mu Hanshi added after explaining how to use them.

Shen Qinglu was somewhat surprised and subconsciously looked up at him.

That slightly surprised and puzzled look held a sense of unfamiliarity that he disliked.

His A'Zhu shouldn't see him like that!

He lowered his brows, letting his heart slowly draw closer, wishing he could find their past on the unfamiliar face before him.

Shen Qinglu realized something was wrong and was about to back away when she heard him ask, "Did you apply the medicine I gave you?"

"I forgot."

"Judging from the depth of the scar on your forehead, it should disappear in seven days at most. If the scar hasn't disappeared after seven days, I'll come and apply the medicine for you myself."

"..."