Because Ji Xinhe had not yet finished buying the New Year goods, she closed the shop early today and hurried to do her shopping.
As for the New Year goods, it was mainly things like chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Landlords usually just killed their own chickens, ducks, and pigs for the New Year, after all, they raised them at home. However, since Ji Xinhe left empty-handed when she separated from her family, she naturally had to buy everything herself this time.
After getting a full cart of items, Ji Xinhe did a rough inventory and, looking satisfied, she said, "Let’s go back, I think we have enough."
Xiao Bei asked eagerly, "Are we going back now? Sister, are you tired from shopping? Would you like to find a place to have some tea?"
Ji Xinhe laughed and pinched his face, "If you want tea, just say it, why ask me?"
Only then did Xiao Bei excitedly hold Ji Xinhe’s hand and point to a tea house across the street, "This one!"
Ji Xinhe was taken aback, so this little devil had even picked out a place already?
The young man at the entrance of the tea house quickly came out to greet them, "Please come in, honored guests. I’ll take care of your bullock cart and keep it in the backyard."
Ji Xinhe smiled and then went in with Xiao Bei.
As soon as they entered, they heard a loud bang of a gavel. An old man on stage was talking animatedly, "When time slows down, when it speeds up! Prime Minister Mu went into the heavily besieged Imperial Palace alone and saved His Majesty! The rebels were all slaughtered!"
"Good!" came a round of cheers from below the stage.
Xiao Bei was also excitedly clapping along, "Good!"
Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but laugh. She knew that this kid only liked to eat candy, when had he ever liked drinking tea? He actually just wanted to come in and listen to the stories.
"Sister, isn’t this Mu Xiang amazing?!" Xiao Bei excitedly said.
Ji Xinhe sat down with Xiao Bei and replied, "Don’t believe the words of the storyteller too much, who knows how much he has embellished the story. Storming into the heavily besieged Imperial Palace alone and slaughtering all the rebels, what kind of monster would have to do that? Not to mention that he’s a scholar who knows how to fight, even if he could fight that well, if one person’s strength could stop thousands of troops, then what would our country need an army for? We might as well just support him."
This kid was too young to blindly worship anyone.
However, Xiao Bei pouted and refused to accept it, "Although the storyteller might have exaggerated a bit, he is truly amazing! So many people say that Prime Minister Mu is very powerful!"
The storyteller followed up with a sigh of regret, "Unfortunately, heaven envies the talented. Such a character passed away young."
There was a sudden chorus of sighs from the audience down below.
Xiao Bei’s little face fell immediately, "What happened!?"
"He was the victim of a conspiracy and died tragically!" The storyteller said with regret.
Mu Houchu picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea. Long ago, when he was secretly plotted against, he had already sent out the news that he was dead, avoiding a lot of trouble.
Ji Xinhe commented, "A person who can’t be stopped by thousands of troops was easily killed by a conspiracy, it just shows this person isn’t that great after all."
Mu Houchu raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
Xiao Bei pouted and said with a wronged expression, "How did he die?"
"Be good, Xiao Bei. In a person’s life, birth and death are inevitable, and the fate of others is not something you or I can control." Ji Xinhe could only comfort him like this.
The listeners below the stage sighed, "I heard that Prime Minister Mu was born a commoner, became a top scholar at 16, and a prime minister with tremendous power at 23. It’s a pity that his life was short-lived, it’s really heaven’s envy of the talented!"
"Isn’t it? It’s such a shame that he died in the prime of his life. With such a character, our country is afraid that it would be difficult to encounter someone like him in a hundred years!"
Continuing, the storyteller said, "Speaking of regret, it’s truly regrettable! With Prime Minister Mu’s unparalleled face and talent, he’s a powerful figure in the capital, and countless women secretly admire him, including His Majesty’s own sister, Princess Chaoyang, who is deeply in love with him!"
"Even the princess admires him? Is he really that amazing?" someone in the audience couldn’t help but ask.
The storyteller stroked his beard and replied, "Not just the princess, but Old Man Chen’s beloved daughter, Chen Yining, who is known as the unparalleled beauty in the capital city, also secretly admires him. This shows how great his charm is!"
"Oh?!" Curiosity was piqued among the audience below, "So if both the princess and the daughter of Old Man Chen adore him, who would he choose?"
The storyteller continued with a hint of nostalgia, "Now, Prime Minister Mu was previously focused on helping His Majesty ascend the throne and seemed to have no interest in marrying. There are very few rumors about relationships, but I happen to know that the daughter of Old Man Chen, Chen Yining, grew up with him as childhood sweethearts, and there are even rumors that the two of them are a perfect match made in heaven, just waiting to get married. Everyone in the capital knows it!"
Ji Xinhe shook her head with a sigh, "This man really enjoys his fortune. With both the princess and the daughter of Old Man Chen secretly admiring him, and being overwhelmingly rich and powerful, this is a unique honor that every man would desire, and yet he just lost it in the end."
The silent Mu Houchu suddenly spoke, "What many people lust for may not be what some people care about at all."
Ji Xinhe raised an eyebrow, "Really? Then if both the princess and the daughter of Old Man Chen liked you at the same time, who would you choose?"
Mu Houchu had an ambiguous smile on his lips, "I think you’re better than both of them."
Ji Xinhe gave him a light glare, "You just like to flatter me with lies. I bet if a princess and the daughter of Old Man Chen really liked you at the same time, you would ignore me and go see them with joy in your heart."
Mu Houchu couldn’t help but laugh, his eyes fixed on her, "Even if they like me, I still only want to marry you."
He didn’t know if what he said was true or false, but it sounded very comforting to Ji Xinhe’s heart. She held her head up and hummed softly, "I don’t believe you."
Mu Houchu gently hooked his lips, looking at her rare coquettish smile and feeling a warm ripple in his heart. What did the princess matter? What did the daughter of Old Man Chen matter? None of them could compare to her bright smile.
——
As night fell, a man in black quietly landed in the forest.
At this moment, a tall figure was already waiting there.
"Greeting, Master!" The man in black knelt down and saluted.
Mu Houchu had a frosty expression on his face as he handed him a letter, "This is for the capital. Inform His Majesty that it’s time to cast the net."
The face of the man in black turned solemn and he nodded, "Yes!"
"You may go now."
"Yes!"
Watching the man in black disappear into the night, Mu Houchu’s eyes were cold as ice. He had set fire to the iron mine, cutting off the path for those who planned to rebel. Those people would surely be furious and send all their forces to search for him. There were many people involved in the rebellion, including officials who had secretly participated in it, and it was too difficult to investigate.
Now that the fire had been set, all they needed to do was watch carefully and see who was angry and even sent people to search for him because of the iron mine’s waterloggedness. Whoever it was, they were the rebels.
They just needed to catch all of them in one go.
Those who tried so hard to catch him had no idea that he had already set a trap, just waiting for them to reveal their true colors.
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