Only then did Mu Houchu smile, squeezing her hand tighter: "Originally, I had planned to tell you today, firstly because there’s no need to hide it any longer, and secondly, given your astuteness, I probably couldn’t keep it from you."
Yet, deep down, he felt an unusual apprehension. Over the years, no matter how many dangerous situations he had encountered, he had never been apprehensive. He was not afraid of death, nor of defeat, because he had never thought about failing. It seemed he was born to be a ruler, so this weak emotion shouldn’t belong to him.
However, the moment he decided to be honest with her, he truly felt apprehensive and terrified. He was afraid she’d be angry, that she would consider everything deception, and that she wouldn’t want to marry him anymore.
But all that apprehension and concern disappeared when he heard her words "I believe you," and was replaced with peace and joy.
They would soon become husband and wife through mutual honesty, and that was the happiest thing for him.
Ji Xinhe snorted with some resentment: "You hid it from me for so long, and only told me the truth when I asked you today, yet you say you wanted to tell me earlier?"
Mu Houchu pinched her palm: "There were too many variables before, and I was afraid that any accident would involve you. You are well aware of the danger I was in. When you first met me, I was indeed being pursued and almost lost my life. Xin He, I don’t care about others, but as for you, I can’t have you suffer even a little accident. It wasn’t until today, when everything was finally settled, that I felt relieved enough to be honest with you."
Ji Xinhe blinked: "Settled? You mean, the arrest of so many officials from the Prefecture is the end? What were you investigating? And was it related to the iron mine?"
A Prime Minister coming to such a remote place to investigate such dangerous matters must be a big deal, especially when she witnessed so many officials falling from grace today, causing a huge stir.
Mu Houchu said solemnly: "Treason."
Ji Xinhe couldn’t help but gasp: "Treason?"
"The excavation of the iron mine was for the purpose of creating weapons. As for that small iron mine, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Starting with that mine, we dug up the entire chain of interests, finally apprehending all the traitorous rebels. The main problem was that some of the officials in Lanshan City’s Prefecture were secretly causing trouble. We didn’t discover the mastermind behind it all until last night. Last night we launched a comprehensive operation, capturing all of them at once, which is why there was such a big commotion today."
Mu Houchu didn’t hide anything from her; now that things had come to this point, there was no need to keep any secrets from her.
Ji Xinhe listened carefully, then nodded: "I see."
As they were speaking, a faint sound came from outside. Although an ordinary person might not have caught it, Ji Xinhe noticed something amiss and furrowed her brows: "Who’s out there?"
Mu Houchu said, "It’s my people."
He then called out loudly, "Come in."
A man in black quickly entered and knelt down, bowing: "Greetings, Master."
Mu Houchu asked coldly, "What’s the matter?"
Normally, his subordinates wouldn’t initiate contact with him unless it was of utmost importance.
The man in black hesitated as he glanced at Ji Xinhe, apparently unsure whether he should speak or not.
Ji Xinhe knew when to step back and was about to say she would leave first, but Mu Houchu didn’t let go of her hand, instead gently guiding her to sit back down: "Speak without worry."
The man in black’s eyes flashed with astonishment, and then he said, "Master, it seems that Gongsun Yi received the news in advance and escaped!"
Mu Houchu’s eyes turned cold, his whole demeanor chilling a few degrees: "Escaped?"
"Yes, sir. The first thing I did last night was to send people to arrest Gongsun Yi, but who would have thought that this cunning man would still get the news ahead of time? We were a step late, and when we arrived, there was no one there!"
Mu Houchu ordered coldly, "Find him quickly! He’s likely to run towards the south of the Huai River, where there are some of his father’s old subordinates. Don’t give him any chance to survive."
"Yes! I’ll take my leave." The man in black said, then stood up to leave.
Mu Houchu suddenly said, "Wait."
The man in black hastily asked, "Is there anything else, Master?"
Mu Houchu looked at him coldly: "The next time you see the lady here, address her as ’Madam’."
The man in black shuddered, as if he had been pierced by his icy gaze, and hurriedly bowed respectfully to Ji Xinhe: "My apologies, Madam."
Ji Xinhe was startled, finding herself unaccustomed to the address.
Mu Houchu said, "You may go."
"Yes."
After the man in black left,
Ji Xinhe tugged at Mu Houchu’s sleeve, "We haven’t even gotten married yet, so why call me ’Madam’? It feels awkward."
"In just a few days’ time, you’ll be my wife." Mu Houchu smiled.
The unhappiness in Ji Xinhe’s heart suddenly dissipated, replaced by a sweet feeling: "But who is Gongsun Yi? Is he the mastermind behind the treason that you mentioned?"
"Yes."
"Then isn’t it troublesome that he’s escaped?"
Mu Houchu pinched her hand and pulled her into his arms, whispering, "No matter how difficult things are, I will handle them. All you have to think about now is becoming my bride."
No matter how big the problem, he would bear the brunt. All he wanted was to keep her safe and worry-free.
----------
Capital City.
With only three days left before Princess Chaoyang’s wedding, the whole capital city was buzzing. The common people were talking about this grand event.
"I heard that not only does the Emperor reward his subjects during this time, but also, when the princess’ wedding procession passes through the streets, there will be flowers and candy thrown! These things are all from the royal family, and maybe we can grab some and bring good luck to ourselves!"
"The Prince’s Royal Mansion has been preparing for a long time to welcome the princess. I went to take a look at the mansion yesterday, and it’s been completely renovated from the inside out, extremely impressive!"
"A royal wedding is indeed extraordinary, but it’s a pity that we aren’t that fortunate! Oh well, at least we can enjoy the festivities."
As the wedding day approached, the capital city’s excitement grew louder and louder by the day. This joyous occasion had everyone’s admiration and reverence.
In Chen Mansion, many maids and servants were gossiping about Princess Chaoyang’s wedding in their free time, seemingly forgetting about the recent "death" of Minister Mu.
Rui Xue relayed the news from outside to Chen Yining, who sneered: "Envy? What’s there to envy? No matter how grand a wedding is, it’s just for show. Marrying a man she has never admired - how happy could Chaoyang be at this time?"
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