Old Lady Xiao was seen standing in the middle of the road with her dragon-headed cane. She would step forward to stop anyone riding a horse or sitting in a sedan chair who passed in front of her.
She was still dressed in gorgeous clothes, but she was no longer as neat and tidy as before; her silver hair was scattered, and her cloudy eyes were full of bloodshot; the wrinkles on her face were as if carved by a knife, just like old tree bark.
A complex wave of emotions surged in Shangguan Wanning's heart.
The Xiao family could have relied on the protection of their ancestors to enjoy wealth and prosperity for generations, but Old Lady Xiao took advantage of her power to bully others and indulged her descendants in doing evil.
Now, with such an end, it can be said that he deserves it.
"The emperor still appreciated the Xiao family's contributions and did not kill them all. Although he confiscated the Marquis Zhonglie's mansion, he left her enough silver so that she would have enough food and clothing for the rest of her life."
Mu Jingrui was also thoughtful.
He knew that the reason why Xiao Yujue dealt such a heavy hand to the Marquis of Zhonglie's Mansion this time was that he had reached the point where he could no longer tolerate it.
only……
Mu Jingrui still felt something strange in his heart.
"She used to be the high and mighty Old Lady Xiao. Even the emperor had to give her some face. But in the days ahead... she can only afford to eat and sleep, which can be considered a punishment."
Shangguan Wanning lowered the curtain of the carriage and sighed deeply.
Like the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, their defeat is a microcosm of the transition from the old to the new regime.
She began to understand why her uncle was willing to just take on the responsibility of keeping the general alive, give up all his rights in the capital, and take the princess away from the center of the vortex.
"Spring in Jiangnan... must be beautiful..."
Shangguan Wanning's sudden sigh made Mu Jingrui slightly stunned.
He immediately understood the meaning of her words and could feel the sadness and sentimentality in her heart.
"Ning'er, if you don't like intrigue and fighting for power, then..." Mu Jingrui held Shangguan Wanning's hand tightly, "After we get married, I will resign from my official position and take you to live in seclusion in Jiangnan."
"Let's pick a sunny, quiet and peaceful town. We can work from sunrise to sunset every day, have a few more children, and live an ordinary life."
Shangguan Wanning's heart moved and she looked at Mu Jingrui with some surprise.
"Jing Rui, it's not easy for you to get to where you are today. Are you really willing to give up?"
Mu Jingrui smiled slightly and sighed softly. "My biggest difficulty is marrying you. We have been through so many ups and downs, and I don't want to be separated from you again."
Shangguan Wanning lowered her eyelids and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
"Jing Rui, who would believe that you are the King of Zhennan who is so decisive in killing people on the battlefield?"
"Then don't tell anyone, otherwise I will lose face." Mu Jingrui smiled and took Shangguan Wanning into his arms.
"I'm fine now. You don't have to accompany me. Go ride your horse."
Mu Jingrui didn't say anything, but instead increased the strength of his arms and hugged Shangguan Wanning tighter.
Shangguan Wanning leaned on Mu Jingrui's chest, closed her eyes and thought of Lu Tong again. She couldn't help feeling sad again.
The journey was smooth and we arrived at Yaowang Valley after a few days.
“Master…Master…”
Shangguan Wanning pushed open the door, and dust fell down, blinding her eyes.
After rubbing it, she looked around and found nothing.
"Master is not here?"
"Besides...it has been a while since I left."
Mu Jingrui ran his fingers across the table, which was already covered with a thick layer of dust.
Shangguan Wanning suddenly felt very disappointed. "Where will the master go?"
"He may have gone out to visit a friend for some unexpected reason. Don't worry, Dr. Lu is a highly skilled doctor with rich experience in martial arts, so he will be fine."
"No... Master... left in a hurry..."
Mu Jingrui followed Shangguan Wanning's line of sight.
Behind the window is a yard with several shelves, and many medicinal herbs are drying on each shelf.
Shangguan Wanning immediately stood up and walked out.
These medicinal herbs have been left here exposed to wind and sun and have long lost their effectiveness.
However, they were also conveying an important message to Shangguan Wanning.
Lu Xiangzi left in such a hurry that he didn't have time to take the herbs back.
If he was out visiting friends, how could he not even collect medicinal herbs?
Shangguan Wanning was a little confused and she began to worry about Lu Xiangzi's safety.
She hurriedly searched every room, even the secret room, to make sure that Lu Xiangzi was not there.
Lu Xiangzi's room was still tidy, with his changed clothes placed at the end of the bed.
He is a very clean person. He didn’t even wash his dirty clothes... Where would he go?
“Master!”
Shangguan Wanning stood on a hillside not far away, shouting at the empty and silent valley.
She was in a state of confusion, and Mu Jingrui came to her side.
"I just looked around and there were no signs of fighting. Moreover, many precious medicinal herbs in the medicine room are still there. I think... Doctor Lu must have left on his own."
"Where on earth did the master go?"
Shangguan Wanning couldn't understand what the situation was that would cause Lu Xiangzi to leave in such a hurry that he didn't even take back the medicinal herbs that were left outside to dry?
"Ning'er, don't worry too much." Mu Jingrui comforted her, "We will stay in Yaowang Valley for a few days and see if there are any clues nearby. Maybe your master will be back soon."
Shangguan Wanning thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
She personally cleaned every room in Yaowang Valley inside and out, washed Lu Xiangzi's dirty clothes, and took out all the clothes in the closet to dry them out in the sun.
It wasn't until sunset that everything was completed.
Mu Jingrui didn't want to be disturbed, so he dismissed the guards who were accompanying him and asked them to go to the town at the foot of the mountain to find an inn to stay in and inquire about Lu Xiangzi's whereabouts.
The two stayed in Yaowang Valley for two days and searched almost every corner of Yaowang Valley, but still found no clues about Lu Xiangzi's whereabouts.
"Let's eat." Shangguan Wanning brought the last dish to the table and picked up a piece for Mu Jingrui. "I dug this fresh bamboo shoot this morning in the bamboo forest in front of the mountain. It's very fragrant when used to steam and marinate meat. Try it."
Mu Jingrui took a bite and said with a smile: "I really didn't know that you can not only recite poems and write couplets, but you can also cook?"
"I learned it from Brother Yao. In the past, Master, him and I, the three of us lived in Yaowang Valley. In addition to learning medicine from Master every day, we spent the rest of our time studying recipes."
Shangguan Wanning recalled these things, and missed that peaceful and beautiful time very much.
She noticed from the corner of her eye that Mu Jingrui's smile had faded a little, so she picked up another piece of meat for him.
"You can't still be jealous of these past events, can you?"
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