Master Wang eventually left, humiliated, amidst the clamorous voices of the crowd.
In the noisy crowd outside the Winding Pavilion, a plain and unpretentious horse carriage was parked, unassuming in the street. On the carriage body, a simple "Mu" character was too modest to draw much attention.
Ji Xinhe’s deep eyes watched the outside scene, only pulling down the carriage curtains once the drama had ended.
Soon after, Shulan boarded the carriage and said, "Master Wang has left."
Xinhe replied indifferently, "I saw."
Shulan bit her lip: "Can we really trust a man like Master Wang?"
"Do you find him suspicious?" Xinhe raised an eyebrow.
Shulan shook her head: "Not suspicious per se, but he is ultimately an outsider, not a confidant of His Highness or the Princess. I fear his loyalty is not complete given his own and his family’s interests. My concern is that using such a person comes with great risk."
How could Ji Xinhe, who was so cautious, have overlooked such an obvious flaw?
So Shulan had been hesitant to raise it, but she had a hard time keeping her thoughts to herself. Not voicing her concerns was making her uncomfortable.
However, Xinhe only chuckled: "Precisely because he is not a trusted aide of mine or His Highness, he is more likely to gain Duan Lan’s trust."
Shulan’s eyes flashed: "It seems...It is indeed so."
"Duan Lan is very shrewd. Although he can’t exercise his power in Yu State, it doesn’t mean he’s stupid. True confidants of mine and Marquis Mu are likely recognizable to him. He is always cautious and wouldn’t easily trust anyone who’s even slightly suspicious. But Master Wang is different, he doesn’t belong to any faction. He acts only for himself and his family, even initially allowing Duan Lan to use him to protect his family."
Xinhe curled her lips, speaking with profound meaning: "It is precisely a person like him who might earn a cautious trust from Duan Lan."
"What the Princess said is true, but using such a man comes with great risk. Master Wang might have been scared by what you said today, leading him to side with us. But if Duan Lan says a few words tomorrow, he might switch sides again." Shulan replied.
"High risk, high return. Some things require risk, otherwise, you can’t achieve a good outcome. Besides, I have at least a sixty to seventy percent chance of success with Master Wang," Xinhe said calmly: "Even if he actually wanted to make a new choice, he would have to be clear about whose turf he’s on."
The Wang Family, being rooted in Yu State, can truly rely on, and must rely on, the Pingyang Prince Mansion. Master Wang is not a fool. The royal court, no matter how powerful, can’t interfere much since Yu State is separated by mountains and rivers. Even Duan Lan finds his hands tied while currently in Yu State, not to mention the imperial court’s intervention for a minor Wang Family.
If Master Wang is not stupid, he should know that he should stick with choosing Prince Pingyang, rather than being used by the court again and again, unless he doesn’t care about the honor and even the life of the Wang family anymore.
Shulan thought about it, but still couldn’t make it entirely clear. However, she still said, "As long as the prince thinks there is a sixty to seventy percent chance of success, I won’t ask anymore."
Xinhe laughed: "Alright, let’s go back to the mansion. Why do you worry so much?"
Shulan scratched her head: "Yes, I, a stupid person as I am, worry about a bunch of things for you all day long. I’m afraid you would find me annoying at some point."
Xiaoyu shook her head with a smile: "Agreed, let’s go back to the mansion."
The coachman outside nodded, and the carriage slowly departed.
Marquis Mu had been dealing with things in his study all day, and it was late when Xinhe returned, but Marquis Mu was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is His Highness?" Xinhe asked casually as Shulan helped her remove her cloak.
"Still in his study. Apparently, there was some important matter. A scout came today, and he hasn’t left his study since." Xiaoyu said.
Xinhe furrowed his brows: "He’s been there all day? Has he eaten?"
Xiaoyu glanced at the servant woman beside her, who quickly said: "Only had breakfast with the princess."
"You didn’t think to send his meals over? If he forgets, you should remember," Xinhe said sternly.
The servant woman hurriedly defended herself: "How could I have forgotten? We have been worried all day. But you know His Highness’s temper. He doesn’t listen to servants’ words. Especially today, he hasn’t left his study all day. It’s a restricted area. We dare not even approach it."
Marquis Mu’s study was out of bounds for the servants in the mansion. Even when he was not in the mansion, two secret guards would still guard the entrance. No one could cross half a step into it, or they would face severe punishment.
Seeing the servant woman’s wronged and innocent face, Xinhe realized it was a tough situation, so she could only shake her head helplessly: "Alright, let the kitchen prepare some dishes. I’ll take them to him."
The servant woman, relieved like receiving a pardon, hastily said: "The dishes have been prepared in the kitchen, they are still hot. I’ll ask someone to bring them."
Xinhe nodded: "Go."
She then retired to her quarters to change into more comfortable clothes before heading towards the study.
The Pingyang Prince Mansion was usually lively, partly due to children like Ah Guai and Xiao Bei, who were restless all day. Xiao Bei had many friends dropping by from time to time, to study and play together.
Moreover, Xinhe was not very strict in managing the servants. As long as they did not cross the line, she would simply turn a blind eye to their occasional laughs and chats. So the atmosphere in the mansion was usually quite good.
However, Marquis Mu’s study, including its location, the East Garden, was utterly quiet, even eerily so. The cleaning servants were extremely careful and silent when cleaning the area, quickly finishing their jobs and leaving immediately.
Marquis Mu indeed disliked people staying here for too long.
So as soon as Xinhe entered the East Garden from the outer yard, she felt the different atmosphere - in the quiet, eerily garden, the study was well lit.
The secret guard posted outside the door respectfully greeted her: "Greeting, Your Highness."
"Is His Highness inside?"
Before she could finish asking, Ling Feng had already come out and said, "Please, your highness." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
As soon as Xinhe stepped into the study, she was met with an oppressive atmosphere.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
