Chapter 298 Disposal
"Dai Xin, go find someone to ask," Mu Xi ordered Dai Xin, turning back to him.
"Yes." Dai Xin left, and soon brought over everyone in the village who could speak.
Upon further inquiry, it became even more certain that Mu Xun had indeed lived in this house.
Based on the various speculations, it can be inferred that Mu Xun was transferred here in the last two months. He is being looked after by someone, who is not allowed to leave the room, but he has not been mistreated.
As for the pirates, they attacked suddenly last night.
It is estimated that when the attack came, they hid Mu Xun in a secret room behind the water tank to avoid revealing his location.
Unfortunately, this temporary hiding place was poorly furnished, and the secret room behind the water tank was easily discovered.
However, there was no bloodstains around the secret room, indicating that after a struggle, only the handkerchief fell off, and the person was likely abducted alive.
"So, Mu Xun was just captured, and might be sent to Lord Xuanyou by the pirates? Then his life should be safe?" Mu Xi felt a sense of emptiness, unsure whether to be happy or worried.
Just a tiny bit short, and the person I've been searching for all these years slipped through my fingers again.
Moreover, Mu Xun's current situation, where he has been exposed and fallen into Xuan Youjun's hands, is even more dangerous than when he was in Shen Qiao's hands.
Mu Xun's identity has finally become the biggest threat, but fortunately he still has some value, so keeping his life should not be a problem.
Shen Lun frowned deeply: "These past few days I've reviewed a large number of letters and documents left by Shen Qiao. From them, I've learned that Xuan Youjun's army has now allied with Mu Dong, the newly self-proclaimed 'King of the Western Sea' in the Western Territory. Both of them are descendants of the Mu family and are currently engaged in direct combat with General Tu of the Dayan Han Navy, vying for control of Moyang City. Now that the pirates have abducted the prince, they must be handing him over to Xuan Youjun Mu Zong and 'King of the Western Sea' Mu Dong, using the prince to threaten and restrain the Han Navy."
"Heh..." Mu Xi sneered, "Xuan Youjun Mu Zong is one thing, but that so-called 'King of the West Sea' is a joke. The one who truly leads the army is definitely not the original Yi Fanghou Mu Dong, but his eldest son Mu Heng. Although these two are from the same Mu clan as me, they are truly despicable. As for their attempt to use the life of the prince to threaten the Han Hai Army, then... I will take this opportunity to annihilate them."
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Although Mu Xi wished she could fly to Moyang City right now and intercept Mu Xun's journey to Xuan Youjun, her strength did not allow it, and there was also Shen Qiao in the camp who needed to be dealt with.
The southern city of Qinzhou still retained some summer heat, and now the secluded residence of Marquis Shen Lun in the city has become a temporary council hall.
A few days ago, Bai Su's reinforcements swept across the entire territory of Qinzhou with lightning speed, silencing any forces that secretly resisted. All registered soldiers and the private retinues of unregistered aristocratic families were swept up and incorporated into the Zhennan Army.
Mu Xi now sat in the main seat as the true master of the Southern Territory. Her dark brocade robe with subtle patterns made her complexion appear even whiter. Her bright eyes were calm as she glanced at the people present before finally settling on Shen Qiao, who was tightly bound and looked listless in the middle of the room.
If she hadn't had to decide how to deal with this person today, she wouldn't be in this secluded courtyard.
Mu Xi spoke first: "Elder Qi, please speak first. After all, you have lost your beloved daughter and have waited for so long."
Qi Qingyuan's refined face could not hide his exhaustion and indignation. Once given permission, he no longer suppressed his anger, and his voice was slightly hoarse: "My lord, this man is utterly wicked. He impersonated someone and stirred up trouble. My daughter, Zhuying, was first used by him and then poisoned. For both public and private reasons, if this villain is not killed, it will be difficult to appease the grievances of heaven and the people."
"I understand Elder Qi's feelings." Mu Xi nodded calmly to Qi Qingyuan, then turned her gaze to Luo Qingming, "Divine Physician Luo, is there anything you wish to say?"
Luo Qingming's gaunt face was filled with complex emotions as he slowly said, "So many years have passed, there's no point in talking about it now. This person has caused immense harm, and I also hate him. However, I have no right to punish him, both publicly and privately, so there's nothing more to say."
Mu Xi sighed softly. She knew that back then, Doctor Luo was in love with the original owner's birth mother, Shen Ying, the younger sister of Shen Lun and Shen Qiao. If Shen Qiao hadn't impersonated her brother Shen Lun and used some means to make Shen Ying marry Jin Fangjun Mu Zhen, given Doctor Luo's relationship with Shen Lun, there might have been something between her and Shen Ying.
Unfortunately, it's all just a memory now, and there's really nothing more to say.
Mu Xi finally focused her gaze on Shen Lun on her right: "My uncle has been the one who has suffered the most over the years, and he is also your own brother. How do you intend to deal with him?"
Shen Lun was dressed in a dark blue casual robe. Apart from his pale face and expressionless expression, he was almost identical to the elegant and noble Marquis of Yongguo that Shen Qiao had impersonated before.
Ever since Mu Xi rescued him from the tower, she had been calling him "Uncle" affectionately, but Shen Lun remained indifferent, maintaining a cold and aloof distance: "My lord, I deeply sympathize with Duke Qi's grief over the loss of his daughter. Brother Luo's inner turmoil is also my inner turmoil. Although Shen Qiao is my younger brother, his sins are heinous and cannot be redeemed even by death, and I cannot defend him. However, he has impersonated me for many years, and his methods of communication, tokens, and codes with the Northern Region's Xuan Youjun, the remaining pirates, and even certain secret forces in the court, as well as secrets that may concern certain factions within the Han Hai Army, are probably known only to him. Although I have been working day and night to fill in the gaps of these past twenty years, I am still afraid that there are still omissions. My lord, gentlemen... if we were to kill him now, it would be like cutting the thread of a cloth, and it would be detrimental to our next move."
Upon hearing this, everyone's thoughts were stirred, but their focus varied greatly.
Mu Xi was overjoyed: "Does Uncle mean he's willing to continue helping me?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Lun seemed to smile slightly, but his stiff expression barely betrayed his true feelings. He then sighed deeply, looking up at the sky: "All things in this world share the same origin and vital energy. How can we allow weapons to shatter the heavens and earth, and flames to burn all living beings? The path we seek is not the breadth of territory, but the well-being of all living beings; not the weight of power, but the harmony of all things. A well-governed world should be like spring rain nourishing the earth, while war is ultimately like frost destroying branches. A true king should have a heart as vast as the sky covering the four fields, and compassion as deep as the earth nourishing all things. To see the starving dead and know the famine, to hear the clash of weapons and grieve for those scattered—this is the heart that shares the joys and sorrows of heaven and earth. The common people are not pawns on a chessboard, but the very blood and veins that breathe with them. If Your Majesty possesses such a heart, Shen Lun is willing to help Your Majesty forge swords into plowshares, not for your own grand ambitions, but so that Yan Sheng may quell the war as soon as possible and prevent further bloodshed."
“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Mu Xi said without hesitation. “The reason I was so eager for this title before was only to save Mu Xun. However, according to Mu Xun’s original intention, although he was the grandson of the former Yan King, he was unwilling to start another war for the sake of restoring the country and gaining power.”
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