Chapter 93 Secrets and Old News
Mu Xun didn't believe it: "You're responsible for all of this?"
Yan Shu patted his chest and said, "Hehe, I, as the Junior Steward, am indispensable to half of these people."
"So, we'll have to trouble you, Mr. Yan, in the future." Mu Zhen was always polite and restrained in front of others.
Yan Shu quickly reverted to his serious demeanor: "No, no, I am on good terms with the Second Young Master, so the affairs of the Jin Fangjun Mansion are my business."
"It's not appropriate to linger at the palace gates; I must take my leave now." Mu Zhen's attitude was neither warm nor cold. After speaking, he lowered the carriage curtain and prepared to depart.
Hearing the conversation from the carriage behind, Mu Xi had an idea: "Lord Yan Shu, if you have some free time in the near future, you may visit the Jun residence to ask him some questions."
"I have time, I have time, I have time right now." Yan Shu gave Mu Zhen's carriage one last bow and then came over eagerly. "I've long heard of the esteemed Prince Jin Fang, but I've never had the chance to meet him..."
He froze halfway through his sentence.
Mu Xun had no choice but to come over and introduce, "Your Highness, this is Yan Shu, the Junior Steward of the Imperial Household Department."
"..." Yan Shu stared blankly, as if someone had cast a spell on her.
"Brother Yan?" Mu Xun called out softly.
Yan Shu was startled, but seemed not to have recovered yet, and habitually bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Mu Xi noticed Yan Shu's strange expression: "What's wrong, Lord Yan?"
Yan Shu blinked hard before she seemed to wake up from a dream: "Goodness, I thought that Brother Chengfeng's appearance was unparalleled in heaven and earth. I never thought that after seeing the young master today, I would know what it means to be a celestial being descended to earth. No wonder you two are brothers."
Haha, we're completely unrelated, okay?
Mu Xi thought to herself, but her smile became even more genuine: "Lord Yan is clearly a learned man, and must know a great deal about the construction of the altar. If you have time, why don't we ride together? I have something to ask you."
“Yes, yes…” Yan Shu’s eyes hadn’t left Mu Xi since she first saw him.
Mu Xun was clearly displeased: "Brother Yan, how do you know about those things? Let's take the criminals back to register them first."
"No need, no need..." Yan Shu suddenly looked confused and couldn't understand Mu Xun's expression. She turned around and waved to the two servants behind her, "Go and take the person back to Sili first."
"Yes." The two subordinates bowed in response and then headed towards the direction where the Imperial Guards were escorting the people.
After making the arrangements, Yan Shu was about to get into the carriage.
Mu Xun stopped him again, lowering his voice to the lowest level, even with a hint of threat: "Do you have anything important to do? Hurry up and do your job. If the young master has any questions, you can formally visit him another day."
Yan Shu pretended to be stupid and said, "Can't you even see your brother if you don't have anything important to do? I didn't expect the young master to be so approachable and humble. How could I miss this opportunity?"
"What opportunity..." Mu Xun couldn't stop her before Yan Shu had already jumped onto the carriage.
Mu Xi then said to Mu Xun, who was still worried, "Let's set off. Don't keep Father waiting too long. I'll ask Lord Yan a few questions on the way and then send him back."
"Let's go." Mu Xun gave the order helplessly, but still worried, he jumped into Mu Xi's carriage himself.
Mu Xi sat in the middle of the carriage, with Cao Pan'er, who had just been rescued, to her left.
As soon as Yan Shu got into the carriage, she automatically sat down on the right side, so Mu Xun had to move to the seat at the head of the table to Mu Xi's left.
As soon as the carriage started moving, before Mu Xi could even speak, Yan Shu took the initiative and said, "Young Master, you may ask me some questions, right?"
"You know what I'm going to ask?" Actually, Mu Xi only had one key question.
"Your Highness probably doesn't know that you were tricked into taking on the task of building the Qifeng Terrace, right?" Yan Shu shoved her round, smiling face right in front of Mu Xi and then blurted out, "Your Highness's skin is whiter and smoother than a woman's. Is it really because you've been recuperating for so many years?"
Mu Xun shoved Yan Shu back and stood in front of Mu Xi, saying, "Sit up straight."
Mu Xi had already seen it clearly in the Tianjun Hall, and asked bluntly, "Are you referring to the King and Grand Minister of Works Tao Jin?"
"Tsk tsk..." Yan Shu gave a thumbs up, "The Crown Prince's political acumen far surpasses Chengfeng's."
Mu Xun was still in a daze: "You're saying that the King and Tao Jin conspired to frame our Jin Fangjun Mansion? She Yu, explain yourself clearly."
"Ahem..." Yan Shu deliberately cleared his throat, preparing to launch into a long speech, "This story begins in the previous dynasty."
"Get to the point, don't joke around." Mu Xun was a little nervous.
Yan Shu tilted her round face and narrowed her fox-like eyes, but with a serious attitude: "Who is joking? We have to start from the previous dynasty. Didn't His Majesty already name the altar 'Qifengtai'?"
Upon hearing this, Mu Xi vaguely recalled hearing the name "Qi Feng" somewhere, but couldn't quite place it. So she pressed Yan Shu for an explanation: "Lord Yan, please tell me."
Yan Shu said with great enthusiasm, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me by my courtesy name, Sheyu, like Chengfeng does."
Mu Xi wanted to be polite and let Yan Shu address him by his courtesy name, but then he thought of the ambiguous meaning of the words "Gui Nan" and could only say instead, "Then you can also call me 'Brother Mu'."
"Brother Mu," Yan Shu called out eagerly, then lowered his voice further, "What I'm about to tell you is a secret among secrets, one that both Princess Yan Ya of the previous dynasty have heard of, haven't they?"
Mu Xiyue had just met him a few days ago.
Mu Xun did not respond.
Yan Shu didn't wait for an answer: "Since the fall of Qianyan and the capture of Princess Yanya, it has been eighteen or nineteen years. I heard that the king originally wanted to take Princess Yanya into the harem and even promised to make her a vice queen, but the princess refused to the death. In the end, the king had no choice but to give the princess the title of 'Princess Qifeng' and order the establishment of the 'Surrender Courtyard' for the princess to live in, as a sign of his favor to the former officials of Qianyan who surrendered."
What kind of favor is this?
Mu Xi thought to herself, but didn't say it aloud.
“If you say that the former dynasty’s princess was placed in the ‘Surrender House’, then that would definitely be…” Yan Shu didn’t know if she had seen through his thoughts, but she couldn’t find the right words for a moment, so she changed the subject. “If you say that it’s not a favor, then for so many years, although Lady Qifeng has kept a low profile, she has always been escorted by the Red Carp Guards when she goes out. Even the Queen doesn’t have this kind of treatment.”
"The Red Carp Guards escorting us is also a form of surveillance," Mu Xi said dismissively.
Yan Shuyi nodded: "That's true. However, it is said that although Lady Qifeng has lived a secluded life in recent years, the food, clothing and daily necessities in the Zhaojiang Courtyard are all the best. No matter what request that lady makes, the king has never refused it."
The image of Princess Yan Ya's ethereal beauty from that day flashed before Mu Xi's eyes, and she couldn't help but sigh, "Without freedom, one is not even a caged bird. I suppose that princess wouldn't care."
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