Chapter 274 Leftovers
One month later, in Shen Lun's study, Mu Xi was suddenly summoned for some unknown reason, but her intuition told her it wasn't a good thing.
Shen Lun was wearing a dark blue straight robe embroidered with pine and crane patterns today, which gave people a sense of leisure and casualness.
After the servant served tea, Shen Lun sent him away.
At this moment, only the two of them were in the study.
"Zhixi..." Shen Lun, sitting at the head of the table, spoke with the warmth of an elder, "Have you settled in well these past few days? Have you adapted to your new identity?"
Mu Xi suppressed a slight frown, though she really disliked Shen Lun's new way of addressing her. However, she couldn't show it on her face, so she bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Everything is fine."
Shen Lun picked up the celadon teacup, took a sip, and looked at Mu Xi's face as if he were scrutinizing something: "That's good, and since it's good, there's even more good news here."
"A happy occasion?" Mu Xi immediately became alert.
Shen Lun smiled slightly and slowly said, "Lord Ji, the military commissioner stationed in Yansheng from the Nine Kingdoms, is a man of high rank and great power, with considerable influence in the Nine Kingdoms court. Moreover, he is in his prime and has a promising future. He previously expressed his intention to marry my daughter, and after much consideration, I felt that he was a good match for you as well. Your current situation is awkward, and the various forces in Yansheng are deadlocked, with the final outcome still uncertain. Under these circumstances, this marriage would be a good way for you to get away from this troublesome place in Yansheng."
Military Commissioner of the Nine Regions?
Isn't this the marriage partner that Shen Pingting previously looked down upon?
Why would you push something your own daughter doesn't like onto her?
She would rather starve than eat such leftovers; how could she possibly agree to that?
As he pondered this, traces inevitably appeared on his face.
Shen Lun's long, willow-leaf eyes swept over him, and he continued, "You've probably heard some nonsense from Pingting. The position of military commissioner isn't one that just anyone can hold. In the Nine Kingdoms, one must be a prince or nobleman. They come to sea mostly to broaden their horizons, and only after returning can they be promoted and given important positions. I did intend to arrange a marriage between Pingting and the prince, naturally to leverage his connections in the Nine Kingdoms. In the future, after the Han Navy wins, when the prince ascends the throne, he will have the support of the powerful forces of the Nine Kingdoms in terms of legitimacy."
“Uncle…” Mu Xi didn’t care what reason Shen Lun gave, and looked up with her bright red eyes, “Uncle speaks so frankly, have you already forgotten the ‘Golden Box Alliance’?”
"Oh?" Shen Lun raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then chuckled knowingly, "Hehe, as expected... given your temperament, it's not surprising that you disobeyed the dying instructions and opened the golden box to check ahead of time. I was just thinking that with the prince's temperament, he might not cooperate with you, but I didn't expect that you would see it ahead of time."
"Now that we've spoken frankly, Uncle should know my answer." Mu Xi had had enough of being dependent on others and having to compromise during this time, and now that the other party was making such an excessive request, she no longer needed to tolerate it.
Shen Lun smiled faintly, completely unperturbed: "The Golden Box Alliance is nothing but an old agreement. Even if you already know this, given your temperament and way of doing things, do you really think you can keep your word?"
"I..." When Mu Xi first learned about the "Golden Box Alliance," her first reaction was indeed to refuse, but as time passed, she was unable to answer for a moment.
Shen Lun looked knowing: "Based on my observations over the years, your relationship with Wangsun is nothing more than a long-standing 'brotherly bond' that has evolved into a bond forged in adversity. Although the bond is deep, it's unlikely to easily transform into romantic love. Why bother..."
“No…” Mu Xi interrupted abruptly, sensing something was amiss. “Regardless of whether there is any romantic relationship between Mu Xun and me, I will not agree to be used as a bargaining chip to marry a stranger.”
“As your maternal uncle, I would never harm you.” Shen Lun remained calm, showing more patience than usual. “If you don’t marry him, who will you marry? Given your sensitive past, it’s not easy for Yan Sheng to find a suitable match now.”
Mu Xi replied resolutely, "Who says I have to get married? I can remain unmarried for life."
"Never to marry?" Shen Lun thought it was a huge joke. "Women will eventually marry. If you want to walk the path of a shaman, given your past impersonation of Prince Jin Fang, I'm afraid that won't be possible."
Mu Xi hadn't thought much about the path of becoming a shaman, but Shen Lun's words only fueled her rebellious spirit: "What's wrong with the path of becoming a shaman? Besides, my 'spirit possession' several times isn't fake."
“Even if your ‘divine intervention’ back then wasn’t fake, it’s too late.” Shen Lun’s long, willow-leaf eyes suddenly turned cold.
Mu Xi's heart skipped a beat. Before she knew what "too late" meant, a bad premonition washed over her.
Shen Lun, though not angry, exuded an air of authority. He spoke slowly and in a deep voice: "Your identity as the 'Prince of Jin Fang' is dead. Now you only have the identity of 'Shen Zhixi,' the second young lady of the Yongguo Marquis's mansion who has been living in seclusion in a Taoist temple for many years. Whether you like it or not, from now on you can only live in this world as Shen Zhixi."
"Prince Jin Fang is dead?" Mu Xi was suddenly shocked.
“That’s right.” Shen Lun’s tone was colder than ever before. “Previously, that scoundrel Gao Quan spread a false rumor about the deaths of the Jin Fang heir and the second young master. Fortunately, I blocked and clarified the false rumor in Moyang City in time, so it did not cause any real consequences. However, ever since you came here before the New Year, I have arranged to spread the news that the Jin Fang heir and the second young master are ‘real’ dead. Now that all three young masters of the Jin Fang family have perished, they are practically dead.”
Mu Xi's mind went blank: "Why?"
She originally didn't care much about the identity of "Prince Jin Fang," but the sudden elimination of it by others still left her feeling uneasy.
"Why?" Shen Lun asked coldly, with a hint of smugness in his voice. "So that you can focus on being Shen Zhixi, and even more so that Mu Heng can focus on cooperating with Xuan Youjun."
"Mu Heng?" Upon hearing this name again, Mu Xi immediately realized, "Uncle is truly resourceful; he even managed to get in touch with Mu Heng."
Shen Lun was not offended by Mu Xi's sarcastic remarks at all: "You don't need to be sarcastic. What can a woman like you understand? Those who achieve great things adapt to the times. As long as you can 'control others without being controlled by them,' both orthodox and unorthodox methods can be used."
Bah! What high-sounding rhetoric! It's nothing but the work of power manipulators.
Even so, she was still the one being manipulated.
Mu Xi's face turned deathly pale instantly, overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness.
Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Shen Lun softened his tone: "What are you worried about? The identity of 'Prince Jin Fang' is gone, so be it. How far could a woman like you go with a false identity? Now, wouldn't it be better to be the second young lady of this Marquis's mansion? I've also found you a marriage that is a good match for you, so as not to fail your mother's expectations in heaven."
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