Song Xi glanced at Duan Lan, his expression remaining unchanged. However, a sense of guard had started to form in his heart. He simply picked up Ah Guai without saying anything else and said, "Let’s go."
Ah Guai, hugging his neck, blinked and asked, "Brother Xi, is he a good person?"
Song Xi pursed his lips: "I don’t know."
Ah Guai tilted his head, "Then I’ll ask mom later."
As their figures disappeared around the corner of the corridor, Duan Lan finally withdrew his gaze and turned to the servant guiding him, "Who is that boy?"
The servant chuckled, "That’s the young master from the Wen family in our town. Sir, you might not recognize him. As our families are closely connected, the young master often studies here in the royal mansion with our princess and her cousins."
Duan Lan looked thoughtfully in that direction, but said nothing further. He nodded and simply moved on.
Arriving at the front hall, Duan Lan found as he expected that Marquis Mu Houchu was not there. Unusually for him, he patiently took a seat and waited.
It was only after two tea cups were replaced that Marquis Mu finally made his appearance.
Duan Lan stood up and cupped his hands in salute, launching into some pleasantries. "It’s been many years, but you haven’t changed, Prince Pingyang."
Marquis Mu Houchu gave him a cold look. He ignored the pleasantries and seated himself in the main seat, "Six years without seeing you, Minister Duan, you seem to have changed completely."
Duan Lan sat down nonchalantly, "Times change. Some alterations are not surprising. Especially in adversity, changes happen unexpectedly. Your Highness, your life these years has been comfortable and joyful, including the addition of a daughter. So, it’s normal that you haven’t changed much."
Marquis Mu replied indifferently, "As it happens, Minister Duan, you were married around the same time as me. Surely you, too, have been enjoying the pleasures of family life."
He said this with a mocking smile, enough to send chills down the spine.
Duan Lan’s smile took on a hint of coldness as his eyes flashed with a ruthless streak, "There is plenty of time. It’s a little early for you to be self-satisfied. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?"
"Talk about changing my future when you have a chance to," Marquis Mu scoffed, "Did you come here merely to engage in idle chatter?"
"You should be aware of my real reason for coming to Yu State. If there’s any trickery going on here, you should know it, too. If you want to have an honest conversation, I’m not afraid of anything," Duan Lan replied calmly, setting down his tea cup with a crisp sound.
Marquis Mu’s eyes glinted coldly. His gaze towards Duan Lan had a few degrees more of frostiness, "If you have the capability to uncover any trickery in Yu State, then do it. If you don’t, then stop wasting time blathering here."
Duan Lan gave a frosty smile, "I’m well aware that I can’t uncover anything. I’m under your watchful eye here in Yu State. What do you think I can do?"
If Marquis Mu hadn’t yet realized he was in Yu State, he might have stood a slim chance. But now? There was no point in wasting effort.
"If you can’t uncover anything, then just leave." Marquis Mu stated coldly, and made to leave right away.
However, Duan Lan chuckled lightly, "What makes you so sure that my only purpose was to uncover something in the first place?"
Marquis Mu paused, his icy gaze swept over Duan Lan, making him shiver.
Duan Lan, however, appeared not to notice. He was not the same boy of six years ago. No one knew what he had been through, what changes he had undergone in these six years that allowed him to stand against the intimidating aura of this powerful man without flinching.
The lightness of Duan Lan’s smile added an extra layer of sarcasm: "Why would I need to uncover anything? If I actually found something and reported back to the Emperor, he’d get rid of you instantly. Given the Emperor’s suspicious nature, he would not tolerate me any more than he would you. Isn’t it better to leave you as a target?"
Marquis Mu stared coldly at him, "So, what was your purpose in coming to Yu State?"
Duan Lan smirked provocatively, "Of course I had a reason for coming. As I said, there is plenty of time. Who knows what the outcome will be?"
Duan Lan’s voice carried a hint of ruthlessness.
Beneath his calm exterior, his heart was a turbulent sea. He had struggled to survive in this losing game year after year, exhausting all his effort while Marquis Mu lived comfortably far away. The imbalance of it all seemed so unfair.
Marquis Mu’s face had turned icy. His clenched fist still hidden in his sleeve threatened to unleash a punch at any moment.
There wasn’t much reason left when it came to dealing with Ji Xinhe.
Just as the tension reached its peak, Xinhe rushed in, a smile on her face, "I heard we have an honored guest?"
Marquis Mu frowned, "What are you doing here?"
Xinhe clasped his clenched fist and softly said, "I heard from Ah Guai that an important guest had arrived, so I came to see."
Her face reddened and she was slightly breathless, obviously she had rushed here.
What else could she do? It seemed likely that these two would start fighting!
If that happened, by tomorrow morning, all of Yu State would be abuzz with the news. And not just that, the past disputes between her and Duan Lan in the capital would be dredged up and become fodder for gossip.
While that was a lesser problem, Duan Lan had been sent by the Emperor. Regardless of their differences, etiquette had to be observed. If anything were to happen to Duan Lan, it would just give the Emperor a perfect excuse to take action against Marquis Mu.
Duan Lan saw how naturally she grasped Marquis Mu’s hand. It stiffened his casual smile as he looked at Xinhe, "Long time no see."
Xinhe could feel the icy aura coming off Marquis Mu, and tried to maintain a smile, "Indeed, it’s been some years since my husband and I last saw Minister Duan."
Her use of the term "my husband" seemed to cheer Marquis Mu up a bit. He grunted and wrapped his arm around Ji Xinhe’s waist, "Indeed, it’s been a while. I should have treated you well, but unfortunately I have important matters to attend to. I fear I must express my apologies for the neglect you will receive."
Duan Lan quirked his lips upwards. Whether in amusement or irony, he said, "No worries."
Ah Guai, standing to the side, blinked confusedly, as the tension in the air felt strange. She couldn’t help but innocently ask, "Daddy, didn’t you say you wouldn’t be going out today? Why would you be busy?"
Marquis Mu, far from embarrassed about being caught in his lie in public by his own daughter, scooped her up, "Haven’t I told you not to spend too much time with the bad people?"
Ah Guai asked blankly, "Is this uncle a bad person?"
"Yes, stay away from him in the future." Marquis Mu caressed her little face, then shot a glance at Duan Lan, carrying his daughter out.
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