Chapter 205 Serving a Ruler is Like Serving a Tiger
"Is that so?" Mu Xi let out a long sigh of relief.
If Princess Qingyang doesn't appear, then she and Mu Xun can.
After days of tension, my nerves can finally relax a little.
However... there's still the matter of Marquis Shen Lun of Yong State.
In the past few days, Shen Lun hasn't even contacted Mu Xun again.
what does that mean?
Does this mean the assassination attempt on Prince Yu is about to begin?
If so, then they should also stay away from King Yu.
Just as she was hesitating, Mu Xun walked in dressed in a smart outfit: "Why don't you go over? It would be impolite to be any later."
Mu Xi then asked directly, "Why haven't we heard from Lord Shen these past few days?"
"Lord Shen seems to be unwell these past few days and has been recuperating in his tent for several days," Mu Xun replied casually.
"Recuperating? Is he really sick?" Mu Xi asked doubtfully.
Mu Xun said, "It's probably because quite a few people haven't gotten used to the taste of roasted wild game these past few days and have been feeling unwell."
"What about Shen Pingting? What is she doing?" Mu Xi was really worried.
Mu Xun shook his head: "I don't know."
Tao'er chimed in from the side, "This servant knows that Lord Shen is unwell, and Miss Shen, as his daughter, is attending to him. I heard that many noble sons and nobles have been sending him medicine, and some have even asked around to inquire if the young master has any good medicinal herbs, since the young master is accompanied by Physician Luo."
"Why didn't you mention any of these things to me?" Mu Xi asked, annoyed.
Tao'er pouted: "Didn't the young master instruct these past few days that he not to see anyone and not to be disturbed? There's no need to bother the young master with such trivial matters."
“That’s true…” Mu Xi stood up. “Since everyone is either sick or having fun, the King must be feeling quite bored, which is why he sent someone to accompany him. Let’s go.”
So Mu Xun, accompanied by his guards, led Mu Xi to the hunting grounds.
Deep within the Yanshan hunting grounds, towering trees and roaring streams abound.
Yu Wang Muji, dressed in black hunting attire, rode on horseback, followed by three princes, while a large number of Red Carp Guards lagged far behind, creating a subtle atmosphere.
Besides her three sons, only Mu Xi was brought forward by Di Liu.
Mu Xi originally only wanted to make a perfunctory appearance, but unexpectedly she was conscripted into the army.
The King of Yu not only wanted her to accompany him on the hunt, but also insisted that she stay close by and chat idly.
Chatting with the king?
Mu Xi had no choice but to be on high alert.
Along the way, the eldest prince, Mu Jun, rode his horse with a tall and straight posture, leaping back and forth with his guards, not missing any prey, big or small, and had already reaped a rich harvest.
When Yu Wang Muji's gaze fell upon him, it was filled with obvious approval and expectation.
The second prince, Mu Le, remained slightly behind by half a horse length, riding on the other side of Mu Ji.
Gongzi Le was supposed to be a talkative person, but today he was not very talkative. He only had a humble fake smile on his face, but his eyes kept darting around, and he didn't know what he was thinking.
He had no interest in hunting, focusing instead on accompanying the emperor, so naturally he didn't catch anything.
As for Mu Xi's observation of King Yu's attitude towards Prince Le, it was neither warm nor cold; he neither liked nor disliked him.
Finally
The third prince, Muji, lagged behind, riding a docile chestnut horse. Although he himself was thin, the horse he rode was the tallest and strongest warhorse. It was clearly a horse carefully selected by Gao Quan's side.
The guards who accompanied him were all shrewd and capable.
Although Prince Ji was not very good at hunting, his guards were busy and hunted a lot of prey in a short time. They even presented a leopard and two white spirits to King Yu.
But King Yu was indifferent to this son.
"The position of Zhu Mingjun has been vacant for a long time, and things are likely to change over time. In your opinion, Your Highness, who should be given the position of Zhu Mingjun?" As the procession approached a relatively open mountain stream, the Prince of Yu suddenly reined in his horse and asked.
Mu Xi's heart skipped a beat. Caught off guard, he had no choice but to bow on horseback and respond: "This title of nobility is of great importance. How could I presume to make a decision? It is entirely up to Your Majesty to decide."
The air froze upon hearing this.
The three princes, one in front of the horse and one behind it, along with everyone around them who could hear, all pricked up their ears at the same time.
King Yu's gaze was scrutinizing as he slowly said, "The position of a feudal lord is indeed a crucial instrument for guarding the borders. Its importance is related to the safety of the nation and is extraordinary. You are indeed ambitious and resourceful, and you recently resolved the crisis in the southern border for me. As for the selection of Zhu Mingjun... just tell me, there is no need to worry too much."
Ever since Mu Xi arrived at Yanshan, she has known that the struggle for the throne of Zhu Mingjun has never ceased.
Whether civil or military officials, all factions were eyeing that position.
Even the three young masters in front of them were not idle.
They not only want to vie for the position of crown prince, but also for the position of nobleman for those around them. The two can form a community of shared interests and help each other in the future.
Therefore, this kind of question should never be answered, otherwise it would be better to get involved in the struggle for succession.
Mu Xi could only continue to laugh it off: "Your Majesty flatters me. Unfortunately, I was lucky before, and now I know nothing about the affairs of the court. Take this Yanshan camp for example, there are more than half of the people here that I don't recognize. How could I possibly know who is qualified to succeed Zhu Mingjun?"
Mu Ji said, "It's not surprising that those people don't recognize him. Zhu Mingjun's position is a dukedom, second only to me. There are only a handful of people who are qualified, you can count them on one hand. How could the young master not recognize him?"
Indeed, those who could be granted the title of monarch were either members of the Mu clan or non-Mu clan royal ministers who had made unparalleled contributions to the establishment of the state. There were enough such people on one hand.
But Mu Xi had to continue to play dumb: "Which ones? Your Majesty, I really can't think of them right now. Please enlighten me."
King Yu did not answer.
His deep eyes were like a cold pool, revealing no emotion. He stared at Mu Xi for a long time before slowly withdrawing his gaze, and finally said indifferently, "Continue on."
Mu Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Serving a king is like serving a tiger. The next time the King of Yu invites her hunting, even without Princess Qingyang, she will definitely find an excuse not to come.
The conversation with Yu Wang Muji ended unhappily.
Mu Xi seized this opportunity to retreat, but not wanting to leave immediately, she had no choice but to stay with the royal entourage for a while longer.
Unexpectedly, a short while later, Prince Mu Sheng's hunting party suddenly appeared from the side.
Xuan You Crown Prince Mu Sheng greeted Prince Yu first and then offered to travel together. He then saw Mu Xi and said, "Crown Prince Jin Fang, this is truly a rare sight."
Mu Xi could only force a greeting: "How was your harvest, cousin? Where is that General Eagle Yang?"
Ever since that night at the banquet, when Liu Yang was humiliated by Princess Qingyang, no one has seen him show his face for some time now.
Mu Xi was distracted and just wanted to get away as soon as possible, so she regretted asking the question as soon as she said it.
Isn't this just bringing up a sore spot?
Mu Sheng, on the other hand, laughed heartily, showing no sign of caring at all: "Liu Yang, of course he won't follow me. My skills are probably just a burden to him, and what good stuff could I possibly catch by following him? Don't you think so?"
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