A few days after the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, Shangguan Wanning heard from her father that the Minister of Works's legitimate daughter, You Zhenzhen, had been favored by the Empress Dowager, who had issued an imperial decree to marry her to the Crown Prince, and had chosen an auspicious date for the wedding on the tenth day of the next month.
Shangguan Wanning sat by the lotus pond, breaking open steamed buns and feeding them to the fish in the pond.
"My dear Miss, I really feel sorry for you." Lu Tong came over with a bunch of fresh flowers picked from the garden, and said indignantly, "If you hadn't accidentally sprained your ankle that day, you should have been the one chosen by the Queen Mother."
Shangguan Wanning paused what she was doing, looked up at Lutong who was pouting, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
She took the gorgeous flower from Lutong's hand and said with a smile, "A blessing in disguise. Lutong, just say these words in front of me, but don't mention them to others, understand?"
Lutong didn't understand why her young lady seemed completely indifferent to such a big thing.
"I know."
Shangguan Wanning's gaze returned to the lotus pond. She gently removed the petals and spread them on her palm. A breeze blew past, blowing the petals onto the water.
She clearly remembered that in her previous life, You Zhenzhen was assassinated by Xiao Zhenting not long after she married into the Prince's Mansion.
Even if she was the Crown Princess, so what? In the end, she was just an innocent soul. How could ordinary people afford the splendor and wealth of the royal family?
Late at night, Mu Jingrui changed into night clothes, took advantage of the cover of darkness to avoid the guards of the Prince's Mansion, and used his lightness skills to arrive at the land temple outside the city.
Two burly men were sitting beside a burning bonfire. They just watched the flames quietly, communicating with each other through eye contact from time to time, but no one spoke.
It was quiet all around.
Mu Jingrui hid in the dark and observed for a long time before showing up to meet them.
"Mr. Mu, you are finally here."
When the two big men saw Mu Jingrui take off the black scarf that covered his face, they immediately came forward.
"We are glad to see you again... General Mu will certainly be relieved to know that you are safe and sound in the afterlife." Liu Mao pressed Mu Jingrui's shoulders heavily, his voice choked with sobs.
"Uncle Liu..." Mu Jingrui felt a little emotional.
Liu Mao was the first subordinate that his father trusted that he met after the Mu family was defeated. He always remembered that when he was young, Liu Mao had taught him how to use a spear on horseback.
"I'm glad you're okay... I'm glad you're okay." Liu Mao said, introducing the people around him to Mu Jingrui. "This is my cousin Liu Xian, the right vanguard of General Mu's deputy general, and he has been following your father to fight for so many years."
"Mr. Mu." Liu Xian bowed and saluted.
"I know General Mu was wrongly accused. He has been guarding the border for so many years, how could he have collaborated with the enemy and committed treason? My two brothers were lucky enough to survive, and it took us a lot of effort to return to the capital. I was originally thinking of finding an opportunity to redress General Mu's injustice, but I secretly heard that you were contacting General Mu's former subordinates, and then I learned that you had already followed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. So, I came to find you right away."
When Mu Jingrui looked at Liu Mao, he thought of his father's wrongful death and felt a pang of pain in his heart.
"What happened at the border? Why was the battle so brutal that the entire army was annihilated? How many people survived?"
In response to Mu Jingrui's question, the Liu brothers looked at each other and lowered their heads sadly.
"Mr. Mu, we really don't know... So far, we haven't seen anyone else."
Liu Mao's words made Mu Jingrui feel desperate.
"However, we have secretly investigated some things that are related to several ministers in the court." Liu Mao took out a list from his arms and handed it to Mu Jingrui, "Mr. Mu, you can give this list to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Now, he is the only one who can help us."
Mu Jingrui took it and opened it quickly. The people inside were all important officials in the court.
According to his observation, the factions of these people in the court are not clear, and they do not seem to want to take sides so quickly.
Mu Jingrui's eyes were as calm as water, without any ripples.
"I will give the list to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Mu Jingrui put the list away and hid it in his sleeve, then asked, "Where are you staying? How can I find you?"
"West of the city, Yunlai Inn."
Mu Jingrui nodded slightly. He asked Liu Xian some more questions about his father's situation and then rushed back to the Prince's Mansion overnight.
The Prince's Mansion has been preparing for the wedding these days, and people often work all night long.
When Mu Jingrui returned to the Prince's Mansion, Xiao Yujue had already gotten up and was preparing to attend the morning court.
He handed the list to Xiao Yujue while he was having breakfast.
"I will check it out as soon as possible." Xiao Yujue stood up and walked to Mu Jingrui, giving him a comforting smile, "Don't worry, as long as your father is innocent, I will clear his name one day."
In the next few days, Xiao Yujue secretly mobilized many forces to investigate, and indeed found some clues, but...
Xiao Yujue summoned Mu Jingrui and asked, "Where are the Liu brothers now?"
Mu Jingrui hesitated slightly, and thought for a while with his eyelids drooping. "Did Your Highness find out something?"
His cautiousness made Xiao Yujue's eyes become meaningful.
"There are some things I want to ask them in person. Take me to see them. If you're worried, I can go without anyone else and you can just follow along."
Xiao Yujue's words made Mu Jingrui feel an inexplicable feeling in his heart.
Given his current situation, he had no choice but to take Xiao Yujue to Yunlai Inn.
Liu Mao and Liu Xian hid in the Yunlai Inn and did not go out. When they suddenly saw Xiao Yujue, they were flattered and bowed quickly.
"Don't be nervous. I came here today just to ask you, how did you get the list?"
Mu Jingrui had been observing the reactions of the Liu brothers. As soon as Xiao Yujue said this, the two of them began to communicate with each other with their eyes lowered.
Mu Jingrui's heart sank.
He saw Liu Mao's wrist move slightly, and he secretly thought that something was not good. He flashed in front of Xiao Yujue and faced Liu Mao with a palm strike.
Liu Mao took a few steps back, and then Liu Xian picked up his sword and slashed at him.
Both of them are veterans who have been on the battlefield for a long time and their martial arts are not weak. In addition, Liu Mao knows Mu Jingrui's martial arts very well, so Mu Jingrui can't do anything to them for a while.
"Xiao Yujue, today is the day you die."
Liu Mao was pestering Mu Jingrui, while Liu Xian was attacking Xiao Yujue.
A sharp arrow pierced through the window, passed by Liu Xian's cheek, and left a bloody mark on his face.
In an instant, dozens of guards rushed in from outside and surrounded Liu Xian and Liu Mao.
Xiao Yujue sat there calmly, fanning himself gently with a folding fan, his expression unchanged.
Mu Jingrui stopped fighting and stood aside with a frown on his face.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
