Xu Yunzhou didn't want to go back, but his body was out of control. He turned around on the spot and almost broke his bones, making a clattering sound.
“Ouch—”
He supported his old waist and rubbed it slowly on the ground.
Jiang Mu sneered repeatedly, "If you keep pretending, I don't mind breaking all three of your legs."
Xu Yunzhou: “…”
He suddenly felt a chill between his legs and quickly clamped them together, then smiled awkwardly and pretended to be stupid and asked, "Why are you so angry? Who made our princess unhappy? Should we put a sack on him and give him a good beating?"
Jiang Mu stood there, his smile growing wider upon hearing this. He flicked the birdcage lightly with his finger, and heard the green-feathered parrot inside chirping, "You're not a human being. You value women over friends. You're a scoundrel!"
Jiang Mu looked at Xu Yunzhou with a smile, "Hmm?"
Xu Yunzhou shuddered.
"Your parrot is yours, right?"
Xu Yunzhou's neck shrank.
"Let me think about it, what's the best way to eat it?"
Xu Yunzhou broke out in a cold sweat.
"Hahaha, princess, be magnanimous. Don't bother with a green-haired little beast. Those words were just what I used to scold it. It was just trying to sow discord."
As Xu Yunzhou spoke, he moved towards the birdcage, hoping to quietly rescue it while Jiang Mu wasn't paying attention.
As soon as his hand touched it, the parrot turned around and raised its butt to shout at him: "Little bastard, little bastard!"
Xu Yunzhou: “…”
Jiang Mu: "..."
Jiang Mu glanced at Xu Yunzhou, whose face was as pale as a bird's feathers, with a half-smile, and opened his lips slightly: "Hmm, sowing discord?"
Xu Yunzhou: “…”
The smile on his face faded, and he handed the birdcage to Jiang Mu: "We'll see whether it tastes good or not, but I really don't think we can keep it."
Jiang Mu couldn't help but tilt his head and laughed.
Xu Yunzhou breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. It was good that he had finally saved his son.
He held the cage and looked at Jiang Mu. "What happened to you just now? You looked so unhappy? Was it because of the sacrifice?"
The smile on Jiang Mu's face faded, and Xu Yunzhou immediately realized that he had guessed right.
But he became even more confused. "No, this is a good thing for you. Haven't you been waiting for such an opportunity?"
Jiang Mu walked to the railing, supported himself with his hands, looked at the gray sky outside and said, "There will always be opportunities, sooner or later, but it's really not worth being happy about. I don't really need that position."
"Hmm?" Xu Yunzhou blinked. "Then what have you been working so hard on all these years for?"
Jiang Mu's eyes narrowed slightly, he smiled gently, and said nothing.
His subordinates and ministers who followed him all thought that his plans over the years were due to his ambition, his unwillingness to live a mediocre life, and his desire to clear his name.
But actually, neither is true.
He is not the real Jiang Mu anymore, so why should he care about these things?
With his status, he is unmatched in the heavens and on earth, in the three realms and six paths. He simply does not care about the throne of a small country.
He did all this and planned for so many years just to protect that person's safety for the rest of his life.
If she wasn't at the pinnacle of power, how could she escape unscathed?
He wants to cover the sky with one hand, just to keep the pearl under his palm from being covered in dust.
But these things are not easy to tell to outsiders, and there is no need to say them. Let them misunderstand, it doesn’t matter.
After not getting a reply for a long time, Xu Yunzhou knew that he didn't want to talk about it, so he changed the question: "What are you worried about?"
"The country is in turmoil, and many people will be implicated. I'm thinking about how to deal with Lan Shuang."
"Oh, Lan Shuang..."
Xu Yunzhou responded subconsciously, then realized something was wrong and widened his eyes. "Wait, are you serious? What's a traitor like her even considering? Shouldn't we just eliminate the root of the problem with a single blow?"
He gestured at his neck as he spoke.
Jiang Mu's eyes dimmed slightly: "I never said it was fake, you are the one who is hysterical."
Xu Yunzhou: “…”
He stared at Jiang Mu in disbelief, "You..."
He looked around and saw no one was around, so he lowered his voice and said, "Others may not know, but I do. You're a grown man, so why can't you like anyone? You like a eunuch?! Are you crazy? How can a eunuch continue the family line?"
Jiang Mu: "..." Forget about it, this guy doesn’t know Lan Shuang’s true identity yet.
No wonder he was so shocked.
Jiang Mu looked at him with pity and said softly, "You'll know when the time comes. Just remember that Lan Shuang is ours. When something happens in the future, we'll obey her."
Xu Yunzhou frowned and looked at him, "Have you been bewitched by her?"
Jiang Mu didn't bother with him anymore. After giving him a few instructions, he sent someone to the palace to deliver a letter to Lan Shuang, inviting her to go boating on the Luoxing River in the evening.
After receiving the news, Lan Shuang told the old emperor about it. At first, the old emperor was not willing to let Lan Shuang leave. After all, she was the only useful person around him. Now he looked at everyone suspiciously and felt that everyone wanted to harm him.
But who was Lan Shuang? Apart from anything else, she was incredibly eloquent, having managed to coax the old emperor into submission with a few words. She also created a pitiful image for Jiang Mu, one who appeared strong but was actually fragile and helpless in the face of a heavy responsibility.
The old emperor agreed immediately after hearing this.
Finally, Lan Shuang successfully left the palace.
…
Luoxing River is the largest river in the capital city. It flows through the most prosperous place, carrying a boat of sweet dreams and drifting towards the vast rivers and mountains.
There are many brothels on both sides of the river, and it is very lively at night. Girls stand in front of the windows and throw handkerchiefs, and guests chat and laugh on the street.
The pleasure boat is parked by the river, with the sounds of stringed instruments and wind instruments, and the humming Jiangnan folk songs coming with the wind, gentle and lingering.
Lan Shuang changed into a dark casual outfit and stood on the shore. She glanced around and carefully identified which one was Jiang Mu's boat.
This time she did not bring anyone else and went to the appointment alone because she had many questions that she wanted to ask clearly. She was in too much of a hurry last time, and although her identity was confirmed, she still had many doubts.
Now that both of us are free, we have to seize the opportunity.
Just as Lan Shuang was staring at the small boat on the river in a daze, a person suddenly walked out of an inconspicuous small boat in the middle of the river.
The person was wearing a moon-white palace dress, and her hair was simply tied behind her with a ribbon. She looked simple and beautiful. From a distance, combined with her tall figure, she gave people a beauty that was difficult to distinguish between male and female.
Lan Shuang couldn't help but be stunned.
Jiang Mu stood at the bow. Even if he didn't speak or move, he was the most conspicuous one. Under the dark sky, in the hazy light and shadow, that touch of white stood out from the world.
Many people on the shore also noticed him, and even some ignorant rich kids wanted to chat with him.
Jiang Mu didn't even glance at them. He waved at Lan Shuang on the shore and said, "Come here."
Then he sat down, rowed the boat, and the boat broke through the current and slowly moved towards the shore.
After stopping, Jiang Mu stood up and stretched out his hand towards Lan Shuang, his eyes deep.
Lan Shuang smiled and put her hand on him, but he immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
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