Jiang Mu wanted to explain, but then thought it was unnecessary, so he swallowed his words and changed the subject, "Let someone prepare. I'm not the only one who can't sit still. I guess the Golden Wire Cage is going to be bustling with activity soon."
He stared at the flickering candlelight, but the warm orange light couldn't illuminate the haze in his eyes.
Xu Yunzhou's playful look gradually faded, leaving only a sigh.
…
Lan Shuang and Jiang Mu are both popular figures in Kyoto. When they meet, it is like a spark of passion between heaven and earth. Many people are secretly waiting to watch the fun.
Especially when people knew that Lan Shuang was snatched away from the fifth prince by the eldest princess, the rumor became even more ambiguous.
I don’t know how many versions of the folk storybook there are.
What about the eldest princess who has been coveting the Ninth Thousand Year Old Prince for a long time, and is so angry that she loses her crown for the beauty she loves?
What about the Fifth Prince's love for the Ninth Prince, who tricked her into a brothel to commit a crime?
The Fifth Prince wanted to climb up the social ladder, so he deliberately used the brothel as a cover to offer himself to the emperor.
…
There are many different opinions like this.
After hearing this, the fifth prince was so angry that he smashed his favorite tea set.
"It was Jiang Mu who was the one who was so domineering, but why did I end up being the one who was neither a good person nor a good person?"
The confidant knelt on the ground and trembled. "This servant also finds it strange. According to rumors, the eldest princess is a true-hearted person who dares to love and hate, while the Ninth Princess is a weak and passive beauty. Your Highness... Your Highness..."
The confidant wants to speak but stops himself, and stops talking but still wants to.
The Fifth Prince gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and suppressed his anger as he shouted, "Speak!"
The confidant shuddered, knocked his head to the ground, and said with a fearless attitude: "Your Highness is the despicable villain who would do anything to get to the top."
As soon as the words fell, the hall fell into a dead silence. The Fifth Prince's fists clenched and creaked. After a long while, he finally squeezed out a complete sentence from between his teeth: "Good! Good! Jiang Mu, she's really something!"
Anyone with a discerning eye would know that Jiang Mu had the rumor spread deliberately, but the common people generally just listened for fun. What they wanted to hear were royal secrets and gossip. They didn't care whether it was true or false, black or white. They only wanted to believe what they believed.
The Fifth Prince was very scheming and naturally understood this. He was so angry that his liver ached but he could do nothing about it. There was no point in quarreling with Jiang Mu over such a small matter. Even if he brought the matter to his father, he would be in the wrong first.
So he had to bear this loss no matter what.
After calming down, he said to his confidant, "Get up. Don't worry about the rumors outside. The three days of excitement will be over. Now there are more important things to do."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
The confidant breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and pressed his knee inconspicuously.
"How is Father's health lately?"
"The palace's spies said that the emperor seems to be in good spirits for the time being, but he has been taking elixirs all the time, so I'm afraid he won't live long."
The Fifth Prince sneered at the words and said, "Oh, immortal pills, what a joke! If everyone could ascend to heaven by taking the immortal pills, then the Taoist temple would have been deserted long ago."
"Forget it, let him eat. Only when he dies can we get ahead. Otherwise, this is the only way we will live our whole life."
The Fifth Prince raised his hand and asked his confidant to come closer. He whispered a few instructions, and the confidant nodded, "Yes, I will do it right away."
…
The love-hate relationship between Lan Shuang, the Fifth Prince and Jiang Mu soon reached the ears of various powerful families. They were not concerned about the relationship between the three, but whether there was any deep meaning behind the close relationship between Lan Shuang and the Fifth Prince.
Therefore, there are more spies around the Fifth Prince's Mansion.
Many people began to pay attention to this inconspicuous prince, but no one cared about what happened between Lan Shuang and the eldest princess.
After all, a eunuch and a woman can't do anything wrong, right?
The situation in Kyoto has undergone subtle changes.
…
The other two parties involved in this incident were sitting in the teahouse drinking tea calmly.
Outside the window, the crowds bustled, but inside, the years were peaceful and the aroma of tea lingered. Lan Shuang sighed in relief, "The eldest princess's life is truly comfortable."
Jiang Mu poured her tea, and when he heard this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, "Is your life so unhappy, Nine Thousand Years Old?"
"To be with the king is like being with a tiger. There will never be a happy day." Lan Shuang said from the bottom of her heart as she looked at the white mist on the teacup.
"In that case, why don't you come and keep me company?"
Jiang Mu smiled and pushed the teacup towards her. Lan Shuang raised her eyebrows, looked at her quietly, and said nothing.
Jiang Mu was not in a hurry either. He met her gaze and raised his eyebrows slightly, looking flamboyant and bright.
Lan Shuang couldn't help laughing, picked up the teacup and said to Jiang Mu: "That day will come."
Jiang Mu smiled and said, "I will prepare the bed for you."
The two drank a cup together. After putting down the teacup, Jiang Mu said softly: "You have made an indelible contribution to the current situation."
"What do you mean, Princess?" Lan Shuang innocently picked up a piece of plum cake and put it in her mouth.
Jiang Mu glanced at her and said, "You can fool others, but can you fool me?"
"Do you dare to say that you didn't fan the flames behind the scenes? Otherwise, why would so many people target the Fifth Prince?"
The fifth prince had been hiding behind the scenes very well before, but now he was almost forced in front of everyone.
Lan Shuang swallowed the cake and chuckled, "You found out. Actually, I didn't do anything. I just had someone spread the news that I was close to the Fifth Prince. As for what they would think, it's not within my consideration."
"Well, speaking of which, you did have a favorable opinion of the Fifth Prince before. Why did you suddenly change your mind?"
Jiang Mu's inquiring gaze fell on her. Lan Shuang paused and was about to speak when she saw Jiang Mu suddenly move, leaning forward slightly and moving closer.
Lan Shuang instinctively wanted to step back, but Jiang Mu placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Don't move."
Lan Shuang was startled, and then she felt a warm touch at the corner of her lips.
She lowered her eyes and saw Jiang Mu twirling his fingers, "There are cake crumbs."
Lan Shuang touched the corner of her mouth: "I didn't notice, is there anything else?"
Jiang Mu shook his head, "Just a little."
"Thanks……"
Jiang Mu licked his index finger in front of Lan Shuang and nodded, "It's sweet."
Lan Shuang: “…”
It’s sweet, so what do you mean by looking at me?
A double entendre, right?
However, Jiang Mu's movements were smooth and her expression was natural. She didn't feel anything was wrong at all, so Lan Shuang didn't want to argue with her.
After sitting and chatting for a while, the topic turned to the upcoming palace banquet.
"The New Year is coming soon, and the emperor is planning to hold a grand family banquet. The palace will be very lively then." Lan Shuang said meaningfully.
Jiang Mu paused, then said in a serious tone, "Then the Ninth Prince should be careful. Fires are likely to happen during the New Year, so be careful not to get burned."
Lan Shuang glanced at him and said, "This message should be given to the eldest princess. Be careful when the time comes, and don't accidentally become a character in the play."
The two looked at each other and laughed after a moment.
After having tea, the two did not avoid each other and walked out of the teahouse side by side. The two sedan chairs left one after the other.
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