Xin He was truly unable to understand this child now. He clearly had a promising future ahead. But he was treating it so casually, even willing to give it up. Didn’t he want to change his fate at all?
Xin He truly worried for him. Over the years, she had been more concerned for him than for Xiaobei. Although Xiaobei was a bit naughty and sometimes liked to cause trouble, he always knew what he wanted. He was indeed dedicated in his studies, so Xin He barely worried about him.
But what about Little Firewood? In reality, he was better than Xiaobei in all aspects. He was willing to endure hardship in martial arts training and was incredibly talented, allowing him to learn quickly. At the age of sixteen, even Ling Feng was no match for him. He had a mature demeanor and was extremely clever. He never messed up any task assigned to him. Despite being considered a top scholar talent by his teacher six years ago, he only managed to obtain the title of a scholar reluctantly at fourteen, even later than Xiaobei by a year!
The key point was, he was always more obedient and well-behaved than Xiaobei and hardly ever defied her. But paradoxically, it was this kind of child that made her feel the most anxious!
After a long silence, Little Firewood slowly raised his head and looked steadily at her, "What if I said that there is nothing I desire?"
Xin He’s expression froze, leaving her standing there stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
Xin He sighed helplessly, "I sometimes don’t know what to do with you. I have no idea what goes on in your head."
Little Firewood said, "You once told me that you would respect all my decisions. Now, I just want to choose my own path. Although you may not think highly of it, I believe it’s worth it."
Xin He rubbed her temples, it was rare for him to speak so much at once.
Xin He waved her hand helplessly, "Alright, alright, do as you please."
Little Firewood bowed his head, staying silent for a long while. Ultimately, he did not say another word and turned to leave.
Watching his retreating figure, Xin He could not help but sigh again, "What a worrisome child."
Shulan couldn’t help commenting, "Is the princess really going to let Little Firewood do as he pleases? He is basically giving up his official career. Does this mean that he’s not even going to try for the top scholar?"
Xin He cast her a sidelong glance, "Does he absolutely have to become the top scholar? If he doesn’t want to, then so be it. He’s been this way for so many years, what can I do?"
Xiaoyu laughed, "The princess should relax. We’re dealing with Young Master Xiaobei and Little Firewood who are now grown up and have their own ideas. Regardless of how much the princess worries, it would be better to let them experience things for themselves. The princess is just being overly protective; always fearing that they may choose the wrong path and stumble. But whether or not they go astray, wouldn’t they know best? Even if they truly stray from the right path and fall, they have to experience the pain from the fall to grow."
Xin He chuckled, "Without giving birth to a child herself, Xiaoyu is more seasoned than I am."
Xiaoyu blushed, "Princess!"
Xin He shook her head with a smile, "Oh well, I am too tired to bother about this matter anymore. Regardless of the path they choose, they won’t starve. We will let them be."
She paused before instructing, "Have one of our clever servants keep an eye on the team of refugees, especially the second batch that arrived here."
"Yes." Xiaoyu straightened her expression and confirmed.
——
The next morning, Xin He woke up very early before Marquis Mu had departed.
"Why are you up so early? It’s still early. You could have gotten a bit more sleep." Marquis Mu said softly.
But Xin He got up from the bed, "I can’t do that. As long as the refugee issue isn’t resolved, I won’t be able to rest easy."
"Don’t worry, Duan Lan won’t be able to sit still much longer." Marquis Mu said in a grave voice.
Xin He raised her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"
"I have removed a few of Duan Lan’s confidants in the capital. Now that Duan Lan has lost his left and right arms, the situation in the imperial court is unstable. If he doesn’t hurry back, he might lose his position in the court sooner or later."
Marquis Mu’s words seemed casual, but Xin He could tell that the court in the capital was likely facing turbulence.
"So, he’s rushing back home, and the issue with Yu State needs to be quickly resolved. He can no longer afford to plan things at his own pace?"
"People tend to show their true colors when they are eager for quick success. Now, I would like to see what kind of scheme he has come up with regarding the refugees." Marquis Mu snorted coldly.
"That’s fine. At least we won’t have to be dragged into this situation for any longer. From your words, I gather he must be pretty desperate now. He should be taking action within a few days. Be careful when you handle this." While dressing Marquis Mu, Xin He advised him.
When they first got married, she was completely clueless. Now, six years into their marriage, she had gotten quite accustomed to everything. Although she possessed a modern person’s disdain for the old-fashioned rules concerning how wives should serve their husbands, after actually getting married, she didn’t find it quite so objectionable.
Seeing him toil and rush around every day, sacrificing everything to protect their family, Xin He couldn’t help wanting to do more for him. Because he was the man she loved, she was more than willing!
Marquis Mu wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his arms, whispering, "Don’t worry, I will be careful with this. You should stay in the mansion and avoid going out these days. That will put my mind at ease, alright?"
The safest place in Yu State was clearly the Pingyang Royal Mansion, not just because of its visible guards, but also due to the countless secret guards hidden in the shadows. If Xin He stayed here, he could rest easy.
Xin He nodded, "I understand."
Marquis Mu planted a light kiss on her forehead, "Then, I should leave now."
With that, he turned decisively and left.
——
At this point, Duan Lan was indeed very anxious - so anxious that he was becoming furious.
With a "crash", Duan Lan angrily knocked over the entire set of the Four Treasures of the Study on the table. His eyes were red with fury, "Mu Houchu!"
The Qingyun in front of him was so terrified that he was shaking, "Young master, now’s not the time to lose your temper. Two of your confidants in the court have already been removed. If you don’t hurry back to calm the situation, it could lead to a disastrous outcome!"
Duan Lan glared at Qingyun fiercely, "Do you think Mu Houchu isn’t expecting that?! That rogue has stabbed me in the back! Do you think if I rush back now I can salvage anything?! He just wants to force me to leave Yu State immediately!"
Qingyun tried to reason, "But if we don’t leave now, we may indeed..."
"I have made it this far in my plans for Yu State, am I supposed to just leave now, rendering all my efforts fruitless?! I cannot let go of the game in Yu State no matter what. Mu Houchu dares to betray me like this, how could I let him off easily?"
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