Chapter 272 Marriage
Shen Pingting seemed to have been reminded of something, and her face showed regret: "To be honest, I did take a fancy to Gongzi Jun back then. He is the eldest son of the King of Yu and the most promising person to become the next king. At that time, Father also said that he would do his best to bring them together. Unfortunately, we don't even know where the King of Yu is now, and Gongzi Jun is probably facing a life-or-death situation. It was Gao Quan who took over the reins."
"That is indeed a pity." Mu Xi was now speaking to Shen Pingting with ease. "If it weren't for those rebellions later, if you and Gongzi Jun had truly succeeded, you would surely have become the empress."
"Sigh, who says otherwise?" Shen Pingting rested her chin on her hand on the square table on the chaise lounge, looking distressed. "The situation is still unclear, and Gongzi Jun can no longer consider it, but guess what?"
The two are now sitting on either side of the square table on the chaise lounge, chatting casually.
Adhering to the principle of fulfilling one's duty while chatting, Mu Xi asked, "What's wrong?"
"The other day, my father actually wanted to marry me off to Jiuyou." Shen Pingting said, still indignant, and suddenly sat up straight.
"Jiuyou?" Mu Xi was greatly surprised and shocked. She suppressed her racing heart and asked, "How could your uncle marry you off to such a far place? Won't it be difficult to see you again after this?"
Shen Pingting was troubled by this matter and said irritably, "It's not that it's far. Father is talking about the military commissioner of Jiuyou in our Yansheng. Jiuyou has always treated Yansheng with the attitude of a superior state, so Father naturally thinks highly of their military commissioner as well. But while he thinks highly of me, I may not. No matter what, I'm just a minor envoy stationed abroad. If he never returns to Jiuyou, I'm afraid his position will be over. But if he does return to Jiuyou, am I really going to have to go far away with him?"
“Indeed, sister is right. How could a mere envoy be worthy of you?” Mu Xi replied, though she was filled with suspicion.
Why does Shen Lun want to marry his daughter to the military governor of Jiuyou?
Backed by a powerful patron? Connecting with the forces of the Nine Realms? Seeking external support?
What trouble did the former Han Haijun troops encounter? Are they unable to fight anymore?
Where is Mu Xun? Where exactly is Mu Xun?
Based on her observations and the information she gleaned from Shen Pingting, Mu Xun was definitely not in Moyang; he was most likely hidden by Shen Lun in the vicinity of his hometown in Dounan.
Shen Pingting was still indignant: "I knew it! That's why I argued my case the other day and refused to marry a foreigner. As a result, I was confined to my quarters."
"Confined to your home?" Mu Xi's tone conveyed helplessness, but in reality, she didn't care.
Based on what she had been trying to glean from Shen Pingting over the past three years, she knew that the reason Shen Pingting had stayed in Moyang City was because Moyang was the heart of Yansheng's territory. Although it had changed hands several times, it was a place that all forces were vying for. Shen Lun's continued low-key presence there was probably for two reasons.
One of the purposes was to find a powerful in-law family for Shen Pingting, thereby expanding their own strength through marriage.
Secondly, Mu Xi couldn't be sure whether Shen Lun's expansion of power was for the purpose of restoring the former Yanhan Navy or simply for his personal sake and the Shen family's foundation.
If it were solely for the sake of restoring the former Yan Kingdom, then Shen Pingting would not have been allowed to jump between various forces. Considering that the Shen clan's "rise to power" was actually the result of "a good bird breaking a tree," Mu Xi could not be certain.
During this time, while living in Shen Lun's mansion, she recalled and observed Shen Lun's various actions. Shen Lun seemed to be the "strategist" from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods that she knew in her previous life. His characteristics were that he was fickle, indecisive, and always based his plans on self-interest.
"Hmph, so be it. There's nothing fun to do in Moyang City these days anyway." Shen Pingting said this, her tone revealing a hint of annoyance. "Sigh, if Father hadn't been in a bad mood these past few days and was so easily angered, I'm afraid things wouldn't have turned out this way... I guess he'll calm down in a couple of days."
Mu Xi mainly obtains information through casual conversations like Shen Pingting's. Following up on the conversation, she asked, "The first month of the lunar calendar isn't even over yet, and Moyang City is still fine. Is there something wrong with Uncle's mood?"
Shen Pingting turned her face away and snorted coldly: "Hmph, I'm indignant about this matter, let alone Father?"
"Oh, what is it?" Mu Xi asked casually.
Shen Pingting's arrogant expression was evident on her face: "Sister, you must have heard of the Qi family of Xiangnan, the richest family in Yansheng, right?"
Upon hearing the words "Qi Family of Xiangnan," Mu Xi suddenly thought of Qi Yingyu.
Shen Pingting didn't need Mu Xi to answer, and continued on her own: "My father has always been on good terms with the head of the Qi family in Xiangnan. I have met the head of the Qi family. Although he is a merchant, he has a certain air about him. In addition, he has a daughter, who is said to be born late in life and he cherishes her like a treasure. As for the young lady of the Qi family... I have also met her. She can be considered to have some talent and beauty."
"No matter how talented or beautiful she is, she probably can't compare to you, sister." Mu Xi sensed the disparaging meaning in Shen Pingting's words towards Qi Zhuying, so she followed up with a couple of flattering remarks.
Objectively speaking, the two women are equally beautiful and talented, and should be considered equal.
If we consider the degree of her affection for the two women, she would lean slightly towards Qi Zhuying.
Shen Pingting, having grown up listening to flattery, didn't care much, but she still found it appealing. She didn't hide her feelings any longer: "Hmph, that Qi family girl certainly lacks self-awareness, she's arrogant and ignorant. As the daughter of a merchant, she actually dares to dream of marrying a prince. What's worse, Qi Qingyuan is senile; not only does he not stop her, but he indulges her, even helping her achieve such delusional fantasies. He even turned against Father for his daughter's sake. Father is furious about this."
"Ah..." Mu Xi was really surprised. As far as she knew, Qi Qingyuan was Shen Lun's "money bag". How could he turn his back on her so easily? "Why did he turn his back on her? Who exactly has that young lady of the Qi family taken a fancy to, and what is her relationship with your uncle?"
Shen Pingting, getting into the conversation, said, "Speaking of this Qi family girl, I only recently learned that she has another identity. If I told you, you would never guess."
Mu Xi didn't want to rack her brains at all: "What is it?"
"Have you ever heard of a person called 'Princess Shuoting'?" Shen Pingting asked in return.
Mu Xi vaguely recognized the name, but couldn't quite place it.
Shen Pingting didn't keep them in suspense: "The so-called 'Princess Shuoting' was a false identity that my father fabricated to cover up the birth and safety of the former Crown Prince of Yan. He claimed that the Crown Prince of Yan gave birth to a princess in a place called 'Shuoting' in the northern border during his escape. The Han Hai Army's activities in the northern border were to protect this princess."
Upon hearing this, Mu Xi recalled that she had heard such a rumor before, but after learning that Mu Xun was the real grandson of the former Yan King, she put the rumor out of her mind.
"However, what does this have to do with Miss Qi?" Mu Xi was still puzzled.
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