Chapter 51 Chapter 51 [VIP]
Yuan Mu hadn't met Xi Lanyan face to face for many years.
She used to be a happy and pampered girl.
Good family background, good looks and good talent.
Among all the noble ladies in the capital, Xi Lanyan is the most popular, but she is very reserved and rarely interacts with men outside her family.
She was only sixteen at that time, carefree and without any worries.
But the current Xi Lanyan makes Yuan Mu almost feel unfamiliar.
She should be only twenty years old this year, but her expression is extremely gloomy and cold, as if she is an old woman who has been suppressed in the inner house for many years.
Yuan Mu subconsciously thought of her grandmother.
She was an old woman who attached great importance to rules, had a rough life, and was old-fashioned.
However, Xi Lanyan now is exactly the same as the elder lady.
What happened to her over the years?
Yuan Mu was confused for a moment.
But Xi Lanyan clamped her wrist tightly and said in a harsh voice, "Were you forcibly abducted by Xi Rongjing? Hurry and leave!"
There were maids around, and when they heard Xi Lanyan say this, they turned pale with fright.
The maid tried to stop Xi Lanyan, biting her lip and saying, "Madam, please calm down."
Yuan Mu's wrist was thin and fair, and it hurt when Xi Lanyan pinched it.
She was completely confused, and it was her years of experience that kept her calm and prevented her from becoming confused.
"Ayan, what's wrong with you?" Yuan Mu asked in a low voice, "Let's go inside and talk slowly, okay?"
She has a very noble air about her, and now she has an indescribable elegance and grace.
A long time ago, when Yuan Mu was still the emperor's concubine, she had actually been influenced by him and had acquired aristocratic manners, but at that time, she was more like a beautiful but useless vase concubine.
But now she is like a tree with new branches.
Every gesture and movement reveals a calm and indifferent composure.
Xi Lanyan was very jealous of Yuan Mu. Seeing that she seemed like a different person now, she couldn't help feeling sad.
But she still stubbornly held Yuan Mu's wrist and pulled Yuan Mu out with paranoia.
Xi Lanyan's voice was sharp: "Leave now, it will be too late if you don't leave!"
There was a kind of morbid madness about her, as if there was some unspeakable mental problem.
Xi Lanyan was also very strong. Just when Yuan Mu was about to be dragged to the small bridge in front of the courtyard by her, Xi Rongjing suddenly came over with his men.
The guard raised his hand quickly and skillfully, and chopped Xi Lanyan's neck on the back, knocking her unconscious.
Yuan Mu raised her eyes blankly, but before she could react, Xi Lanyan was taken away.
No one around him showed any abnormality, and the maids even breathed a sigh of relief.
Xi Rongjing's face was slightly tired. He said wearily, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. Ah Yan has been a little hysterical since what happened before."
"She's seen countless itinerant doctors, but there's no improvement." His brows knitted together. "I'll have the attendants keep a close eye on her from now on."
Xi Rongjing dismissed the servants and then accompanied Yuan Mu back to the courtyard.
She was stunned for a moment and asked in a low voice: "Did something happen?"
With Xi Lanyan in this state now, the person who must have the most difficulty dealing with her is definitely her brother Xi Rongjing. No wonder he brought her with him when he came to Shuofang.
Xi Rongjing was silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth: "It's not very glorious. Are you sure you want to listen?"
Yuan Mu had been in the harem for many years and immediately understood the deep meaning in his words.
She had no intention of prying into the girl's private affairs.
Yuan Mu hurriedly shook his head and said repeatedly, "That's not what I meant, Mr. Xi."
"I wasn't feeling well before," she lowered her eyes slightly, "but it was because Your Highness stayed with me the whole time that I felt much better."
"Ayan is still so young," Yuan Mu said seriously, "as long as you are patient, she will definitely get better."
After she finished speaking, she gave a faint smile.
Perhaps it was because she had been serving the emperor for a long time.
Yuan Mu is now much smarter, sharper and more understanding than when he was young.
She is like a gentle and eloquent flower, who can effectively relieve the anxiety and depression of others.
Xi Rongjing's frown gradually relaxed, and he said in a gentle voice, "Thank you for your kind words."
"Well, it's getting late," he smiled. "Go to bed, Luo."
Xi Rongjing is like a gentle brother.
Yuan Mu smiled and nodded, then turned and left. But after the courtyard door closed, the expression on her face gradually turned cold.
Something is wrong with Xi Lanyan.
Something was not right with Xi Rongjing either.
Time changes many things. A timid girl will become cold-blooded, and a gentle young man will become cruel.
The gentle and elegant gentleman will also gradually change his appearance.
After putting down the golden hook, Yuan Mu lay down in the curtain. She took out the dagger hidden in her sleeve and carefully placed it under the soft pillow.
This dagger was the only thing she brought out from the palace.
, it kills instantly.
Yuan Mu had learned to use a knife specially, and she really couldn't learn to use a sword, so...
She was in poor health and had been in the palace for the past six months.
The emperor hired a special female teacher for Yuan Mu to teach her step by step, and he would occasionally play with her.
He would never have thought that she would use what he taught her to
Yuan Mu touched the dagger under the soft pillow and forced herself to collect her thoughts. She hadn't slept well for many days, and soon after she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.
The night is deep and the courtyard is quiet.
The night passed peacefully.
Perhaps because of the fatigue from the recent days of travel, Yuan Mu started to have a fever shortly after arriving in Lingzhou.
She had a fever several times on the road, but she managed to get through it.
Yuan Mu was still a little dazed when she was awakened by the maid's scream.
The maid touched Yuan Mu's forehead and was startled by the burning sensation. She said anxiously, "Madam, you are sick!"
The journey from Jingzhao to Lingzhou was full of fear.
If you suddenly relax, wouldn't it be easy to get seriously ill?
The court doctor came over quickly.
Yuan Mu was very weak. She felt uncomfortable for many days when she had a fever. She stayed in the courtyard all day and even missed the New Year.
Xi Rongjing came to see Yuan Mu several times. His face was filled with anxiety, and he whispered, "When will this high fever go away?"
Yuan Mu was weak, and once he had a fever, it lasted for a long time.
Even the imperial physician didn't dare to say that he could fully restore her health, let alone be the palace physician.
The court doctor wiped his sweat nervously and said cautiously: "My dear, this lady's illness is a chronic disease. It won't be cured in a short time..."
Xi Rongjing looked solemn, but he didn't say much in the inner room.
It was not until the tenth day of the first lunar month that Yuan Mu's high fever finally subsided.
Her face was pale, and her slender body was tucked inside her wide robe, like a willow that was not affected by the wind.
The war in the north is now tense and the situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly.
Xi Rongjing was busy handling government affairs all day long. He was often not in the mansion and just told Yuan Mu to do whatever he wanted.
Even if you want to leave the house, it doesn’t matter.
Shuofang Jiedushi Gao Shen was on the front line, and the Lingzhou governor had a relatively low official rank.
Now in Shuofang, the person in charge is actually mainly Xi Rongjing.
He was sent by the emperor himself, in charge of coordinating various matters, and it can be said that he had enormous power.
Yuan Mu did not choose to leave the house immediately. She stayed in the courtyard for a few more days, and only stepped out of the gate of the courtyard for the first time on the Lantern Festival.
The disguiser dressed her up as a man, made her look rough, and then carefully took Yuan Mu out of the house.
The Lantern Festival would have been so lively if the war hadn’t been going on in the north.
Yuan Mu's illness this time meant he completely missed the New Year. If he didn't taste the Lantern Festival, he wouldn't have experienced any of the New Year's flavor at all.
Xi Rongjing originally wanted to accompany her, but something urgent happened at the border, so he left Lingzhou in a hurry.
The first time Yuan Mu left home, she went to see the two bookstores she had personally owned.
She originally thought that this bookstore, like the King of Chu's mansion, had gradually fallen into decline, but she didn't expect that this place was still being well managed.
It is even more prosperous than before.
Even the guys in the store haven't changed.
Yuan Mu looked at the sign of the bookstore and suddenly felt extremely confused. Who was continuing to run the business for her?
The King of Chu's mansion was in such a state of decline that he certainly couldn't run it for her anymore.
But the name of the bookstore has not changed, and it doesn't seem to have a new owner.
Yuan Mu was curious, but it was inconvenient for him to go and ask, so he just took a quick look and left.
She wandered around outside for a long time, and only returned home late at night.
-
To Yuan Mu's surprise, when she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Xi Lanyan again.
Xi Lanyan didn't turn on the light and just sat silently on the couch.
The surroundings were dark, and only her eyes were bright with a strange paranoia.
The accompanying maid was startled and said hurriedly, "Madam, why are you here?"
She was horrified and wanted to call for help, asking the guards to take Xi Lanyan away.
But Yuan Mu held the maid's hand. She smiled gently and said softly, "Don't worry. Go call the court doctor over. I'll talk to A Yan first."
During these days, everyone serving outside knew that she was gentle and kind, very easy to talk to, calm and composed, and willing to take on anything.
He is a master who is easy to serve.
The maid's anxious expression gradually faded, and she said repeatedly, "Okay, my lady, I will send someone to call the palace doctor right now."
She trotted out.
Yuan Mu first turned on the light in the room, then closed the door.
"Ayan, is there anything you want to tell me?" Her tone was gentle. "Sorry, I'm back a little late."
Yuan Mu's face is still cool and beautiful.
Her character is much more stable than before, calm and peaceful, and her eyes and eyebrows are full of convincing power.
Yuan Mu should be living a good life.
But she seemed to be unable to get over it and always wanted to hide from the emperor.
Xi Lanyan's thoughts were in a mess right now, and she also understood clearly that Yuan Mu had left the palace without the emperor's knowledge.
But Yuan Mu was like a madman, and dared to follow her brother away.
Xi Lanyan is not a good person, and she doesn't have much good intentions towards Yuan Mu, her former enemy, but she really can't bear to see Yuan Mu doing such a stupid thing.
Has no one told her what Xi Rongjing has become now?
From the day the fire broke out in Qingning Palace, he went completely crazy.
In other words, Xi Rongjing had already become frighteningly paranoid long before.
Xi Lanyan waited for several days before finally getting the chance for Xi Rongjing to leave the house.
She waited in Yuan Mu's courtyard for a long time, and finally waited for Yuan Mu to come back.
"No matter where you go, get out of here as soon as possible," Xi Lanyan bit her lip and said, "Don't stay with my brother anymore. He's a lunatic."
Yuan Mu picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea.
One cup was given to Xi Lanyan, and she held the other in her palm and drank slowly.
This brother and sister are really interesting.
Xi Rongjing said that Xi Lanyan had hysteria, and Xi Lanyan said that Xi Rongjing was a lunatic.
Who of them has the problem?
Yuan Mu didn't have an answer. She just raised her eyes and looked at Xi Lanyan, and said softly, "Don't you want me to stay in your house?"
"I'm sorry to bother you during this time," she continued. "Don't worry, I'll be leaving soon."
Xi Lanyan was a little annoyed. She was used to acting like a young lady, and people around her always thought she was playing tricks and were never willing to listen to her properly.
She didn't expect that Yuan Mu would think of her like this.
Xi Lanyan was so angry that her blood rushed to her chest. She stood up and said, "I'm trying to persuade you with good intentions, but you don't even appreciate it!"
Her expression was sick and paranoid, and her expression changed completely after just two sentences.
Yuan Mu's mind was calm and cold.
No reward without merit.
To be honest, she has always been curious about what happened to Xi Rongjing and why he was willing to help her like this.
Is it just because of our encounter in childhood?
"Of course I understand Ah Yan's feelings," Yuan Mu lowered his eyes, "but Mr. Xi has been very kind to me..."
Xi Lanyan blurted out: "Great favor? How could he be so kind to you?"
"You've ended up like this now," she said sharply, "because of his planning!"
Xi Lanyan's voice was so loud that Yuan Mu's eardrums hurt slightly.
But after hearing Xi Lanyan's words, Yuan Mu's expression suddenly changed. She raised her eyelids and asked, "What are you talking about, Ayan?"
"Do you know how many acts of rebellion he has committed?" Xi Lanyan's teeth were trembling. "Do you know why His Majesty has become less and less trusting of him?"
"If it weren't for him, Your Majesty wouldn't have lost his memory," she said, raising her voice. "If Your Majesty finds any substantial evidence, our entire clan will be buried with him!"
Xi Lanyan conveyed countless important information in just a few words.
Yuan Mu held the cup tightly and had already drunk most of the tea, but at that moment some tea still spilled out.
The power of the Xi family has weakened a lot over the years.
Xi Rongjing, who had served the court since he was young, was also fading out of the center of power.
Even this time when I came to Shuofang.
There is already a Jiedushi of Shuofang here, and the governors of various states are still there.
Xi Rongjing's power seems to be very great, but in fact he is constrained everywhere.
The emperor once trusted him so much.
Yuan Mu's thoughts changed rapidly. After the emperor's memory was restored, he did not blame anyone. Even Yuan Mu was gradually accepting that all this was an unexpected fact.
But one day, someone suddenly told her.
The many sufferings she experienced were not entirely due to the fickleness of fate, but were secretly manipulated by someone, which she still found difficult to bear.
Yuan Mu's face turned pale and his knuckles were trembling.
Her voice was hoarse: "How did you know, Ayan?"
At this moment, a group of guards suddenly came in. The leader dragged Xi Lanyan out without saying a word.
Before Yuan Mu could react, Xi Lanyan was taken away screaming.
The guards were wearing armor and helmets, as if they had just come down from the battlefield, and did not look like ordinary guards at all.
The person standing in the front seemed to be their leader.
He was clad in black armor, and even his eyes were hidden in the darkness.
"Excuse me, madam," he whispered, "when the young lady is ill she often talks nonsense, and I am sorry to bother you."
Yuan Mu had no idea that there was such an armed force in Xi Rongjing's mansion.
These are clearly private soldiers, and we can even use another word to describe them - death squads.
Her knuckles trembled at the thought.
"Call the court doctor quickly," Yuan Mu said, trying to remain calm. "Ayan hasn't been feeling well just now."
She tried to soften her voice, but her palms were covered in sweat.
"Okay," the man turned around and looked at her, "We'll ask the court doctor to come over right away."
Only after they all left did Yuan Mu's tense heartstrings gradually relax. She leaned back on the couch, her chest heaving violently.
What kept echoing in my mind were all Xi Lanyan's words just now.
The more the Xi family's servants said that Xi Lanyan was crazy, the more Yuan Mu felt that she might be normal.
When they were talking privately just now, there was nothing wrong with Xi Lanyan's logic and words, but everyone in the Xi family seemed to be extremely afraid of what she would say.
Yuan Mu's finger bones felt cold, and so did his chest.
If what Xi Lanyan said was true, then what was the pain and suffering she had endured over the years?
If the emperor had not forgotten everything, he might really come to marry her as promised.
He had repeatedly emphasized to her that he had broken off the engagement with the Yuan family when he didn't even know who she was.
Yuan Ying also told Yuan Mu about this, but she didn't realize what it meant at the time.
The emperor's status is too honorable.
Yuan Mu might not dare to accept his love.
They parted ways and forgot each other, which was a good ending.
But the subsequent development was so strange.
There are actually quite a few girls in the family, and there are more than one or two concubines' daughters who are born well.
But Yuan Wei wanted to send Yuan Mu to the palace alone. Now it seems that he might have guessed something at that time.
But no matter who it is, it would be hard to imagine that the instigator of all this would be Xi Rongjing.
Yuan Mu felt that something deeply rooted in her mind suddenly collapsed in an instant.
She gripped the hilt of the knife tightly in her palm, waiting for her thoughts to clear up completely. Her first reaction was that this place was no longer safe.
Yuan Mu had already decided to go north to Fengzhou.
She had a pass and credentials, as well as enough money, so she could go alone.
Yuan Mu is sometimes very timid and sometimes very brave.
After all, she was someone who had experienced the war back then.
The current situation in the inner territory is extremely stable. Even Lingzhou, which is close to the battlefield, is safe.
Yuan Mu was just a little confused and a little painful.
She had known Xi Rongjing for a very long time, it seemed like she had known him since she was seven or eight years old.
Yuan Mu couldn't understand why Xi Rongjing did this?
The late queen was from the Xi family, and she had been a very close and trusted minister to the emperor for a long time.
As long as Xi Rongjing wanted, he could spend his whole life lying on a pile of wealth and luxury. He was a true child of destiny, born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Could it be that he has greater ambitions?
But is there any better opportunity in the world than when the emperor is ambushed?
The emperor told Yuan Mu himself that if Xi Rongjing had not come to his rescue in time, he would have been dead.
Yuan Mu's mind was heavy and she didn't sleep well the whole night.
In the dream, sometimes it was the young Helan Zhen, and sometimes it was the emperor holding the little prince's hand.
Yuan Mu hated him very much, but what strangely appeared in his dream were all the beautiful memories between them.
His love for her was morbid and paranoid. Although he was the emperor, he seemed to regard her as the only light in the darkness.
If he hadn't lost his memory that year, he might have really married her.
Yuan Mu's thoughts were very confused. No matter how much she had experienced, she was still that kind child at heart.
Even when facing someone you hate the most, you will always have a final bit of mercy.
Xi Rongjing has been at the border for several days in a row. He often sends letters back, mainly to tell Yuan Mu about the current situation and circumstances.
She was ignorant before, following the emperor but knew nothing.
Nowadays, Yuan Mu is very concerned about political and military affairs.
She always felt that these were far away from her, but the fact is that even a grain of sand will be swept up in the times.
-
Xi Rongjing did not return until the end of February.
The weather has turned warmer, flowers are blooming outside, and the cold and harsh frost in the mansion has subsided a lot.
The river has broken the ice and is navigable, and food and fodder will be transported to Fengzhou via the waterway.
Yuan Mu changed into spring clothes. If Xi Rongjing had not returned yet, she would have left here earlier. She mentioned it to him once in a letter, but he directly refused.
The war on the border is very tense, and no one can protect her if they come here at this time.
This is indeed the case.
Fengzhou has been in chaos twice in just one month. Before the external stability is completely restored, internal rebellions begin to emerge one after another.
Yuan Mu didn't want to cause trouble for others, and even more so didn't want to cause trouble for Xi Rongjing.
Regardless of whether what happened back then had anything to do with him.
But this time, it was he who took great risks and brought her out of the palace.
Yuan Mu sat on the terrace with a simple book in his hand.
She swung her calves and looked up at Xi Rongjing who was walking in against the spring breeze. She had the illusion of returning to her girlhood.
When Yuan Mu was fourteen years old, he finally realized Xi Rongjing's good looks and the special look in the eyes of other young nuns when they looked at him.
But among so many people, Xi Rongjing is only special to Yuan Mu.
Maybe it was because they knew each other too early, or maybe it was because he had taken her down the mountain for dinner a few times.
But even when he was fourteen or fifteen years old and just beginning to fall in love, Yuan Mu never developed any other feelings towards Xi Rongjing.
He is like a gentle brother.
This is what her ideal brother looks like.
Who could have such feelings for a brother?
Yuan Mu raised his eyes and looked at Xi Rongjing. He walked slowly towards him with a smile on his lips: "A Luo."
He was dressed in plain clothes, gentle and elegant, just as he had been in many years.
But when Yuan Mu looked at Xi Rongjing like this, he found it difficult to feel warm in his heart.
She had already made up her mind to leave here, so after having dinner with Xi Rongjing, she directly stated her intention.
Yuan Mu didn't want to anger Xi Rongjing, so she said softly, "If Fengzhou is too chaotic, I'll go to Jiangnan first."
She didn't mention a single word about what Xi Lanyan said that day.
But Xi Rongjing stared at her and slowly opened his mouth: "Do you really not want to go to Fengzhou again, or are you afraid of what I will do to you after listening to Ah Yan's words?"
His expression was calm, but his eyes revealed a morbid paranoia.
Xi Rongjing didn't even want to hide it anymore.
"It's quite a pity," he smiled. "The more than one hundred personal soldiers around His Majesty are all elite. I almost couldn't bear to kill them."
Yuan Mu's expression was shocked, but he subconsciously said, "One hundred and thirty-two soldiers."
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