After the Queen Mother arranged the marriage and handed over Mu Kaiwei's hand, she seemed to feel that the danger was out of danger and the matter was settled. The old lady closed her eyes, her body went limp, and she fainted.
The palace servants naturally burst into anxious cries and shouts.
Mu Kaiwei resolutely withdrew his hand at this time.
Her idea is very simple -
First of all, she was not a doctor, let alone a royal physician, and could not help the empress dowager who might have fainted from excessive fright.
Furthermore, the crisis in the lecture hall was resolved, but that didn't mean the issues outside had been resolved smoothly. Since she was the head of the "Six Gates", some brothers were still busy outside, so she had to rush over to help.
Then, she didn't think the Queen Mother's arranged marriage was serious at all, and just casually pointed her to Prince Kang who was accompanying her. If she really did so, then our Prince Kang would be... too aggrieved.
After all, as a royal descendant, he should be paired with a lady from an aristocratic family. She didn't look down on herself, but she felt that such a marriage was not suitable for either of them.
So she made a quick decision, collected herself, and pulled her hand back, pretending not to have heard what the Queen Mother said. She said, "Your Highness, the thieves have not been completely apprehended yet, and we still need to pursue them. I will take my leave first."
Without waiting for a response, she left the place to King Kang and stood up to leave.
She thought that there were a group of palace servants, palace maids and a large number of imperial guards present, and his prince Kang Fu Jinxi had a room full of people to serve him, so he didn't need her.
After chasing out of the lecture hall, they saw a tragic scene outside. Although some royal guards had been killed, there were also quite a few monks who had been stabbed several times and were lying in a pool of blood. A rough estimate was that there were at least seventy or eighty of them. This meant that more than half of the monks in Baohua Temple had rebelled against the court. Such a situation was extremely abnormal.
Afterwards, Mu Kaiwei chased to the backyard of the temple and met with Bi Tou, the second-in-command of the "Six Gates".
"Boss, your plan was excellent. We took the kids and waited here, and we actually caught them red-handed." Bi Tou chuckled, then suddenly punched the palm of his other hand and cursed bitterly, "What a pity one of them escaped. That fellow named Guanqin is really no good. His brother wanted him to help take Master Yuande away, but they probably had a disagreement and got into an argument halfway. Then he used his brother and master to distract us, and he slipped away in the chaos."
During the Baohua Temple riot, Guan Qin managed to escape by blending in with innocent monks and believers, and the Six Gates captured Guan Ji alive. However, two monks of the Guan generation, stabbed in the chest and chopped off at the shoulder by Mu Kaiwei, were too seriously injured to be spared.
As for Guanzhi, the most crucial figure in the whole chaos, when Mu Kaiwei saw him again, he had three sleeve arrows used exclusively by the "Six Gates" pierced through his chest and fell to the ground, with blood constantly oozing from his mouth. It was estimated that he was not going to survive.
Master Yuande sat down beside Guanzhi, his body looking even more hunched.
Guanzhi tugged at Master's sleeve, speaking with difficulty. "...This is all for you...Master is the best translator, unparalleled before and after, a rare talent...There are still many scriptures in the Sutra Library that have not been translated. No one in Baohua Temple can do this better than Master...With Master around, believers and people gather everywhere. But Master is old...decrepit...But that person can...resurrect the dead...Master can live ten, twenty years, even...even..."
"Who is that person?!" Mu Kaiwei straightened Guanzhi's blood-stained face.
"Who did you make a deal with?!" she said sternly with a frown.
Guanzhi stared at her blankly, vomited blood again when he opened his mouth, and finally became unable to speak. When he died, his eyes were still open.
As a result, this time, the "Six Gates" found several girls who had been robbed before in a rather remote cellar in the backyard of Baohua Temple, which was said to have been abandoned for many years, but two of them were not found.
Guan Ji, the only one caught alive among the "Seven Guans of Baohua Temple", was just as Mu Kaiwei had expected. Guan Zhi was the one in charge, Guan Qin was the one who knew how to use his brain, and Guan Ji was just a "thug". The "Six Gates" had been using both soft and hard tactics for days, but not many clues were dug out from Guan Ji.
Mu Kaiwei was very busy, investigating cases every day. She was so busy that she completely forgot about the empress dowager's arranged marriage. Until one night, she was called back by the old housekeeper at home, who said that her father wanted her to return home quickly.
As soon as she rushed into the house, her father, who never showed his emotions, was sitting in the main hall with his brows furrowed and a look of great distress.
"Father was summoned to an audience today. The Emperor received me in the Chongyuan Pavilion in the inner court to discuss matters with me."
"Although Dad has resigned from the post of 'The World's Greatest Detective' and the position of the head of the 'Six Gates', he is still an advisor to the three judicial departments of our dynasty. The emperor summoned you to the palace to discuss matters privately. Could it be that something happened in the inner court?" Her mind was full of the case.
Her father paused for a long moment before saying, "There's nothing going on in the inner court, but there's something going on in our family." His fingers, tapping lightly on his knees, suddenly clenched into a fist. "The Empress Dowager has decreed that you will be appointed as the Prince Kang's principal consort. The Emperor summoned me to the palace to discuss this matter."
It is said to be a "talk", but in fact it is just being told.
Her father was summoned to the palace by the Emperor to be "informed" that everything was the Empress Dowager's idea, and that the marriage had been arranged in public, and once it was spoken, it was a done deal.
"Your Majesty is saying that you have made great contributions in saving the Queen Mother and Prince Kang, and your rank has reached the Third Grade. Women in our dynasty have never been promoted higher than this to become officials or generals. Furthermore, you are already twenty-five, so the position of the Prince's principal wife is perfectly suitable for you. Father also hopes that you will find a good home. I think your mother...she probably hopes even more than father does that you will step down as the head of the Six Gates and marry and have children." He paused, his expression becoming more serious. "But in father's eyes, this Prince Kang is not a good match for you."
The mention of the arranged marriage had already shocked her. She tried her best to think, and after some thought, she asked, "Father, is it because he dislikes Prince Kang's frail health that he feels he is not a good match for his daughter?"
"That's one reason, but it's not the most important one." He sighed deeply. "There's something I haven't told you yet, but I think it's time to tell you now, so you can have some peace of mind. Your mother died seventeen years ago in danger. Officially, it was said she was ambushed by the vicious bandits from Sanchuankou, but it wasn't that simple. She saw injustice and stepped forward to help, saving someone she shouldn't have saved."
"...someone who shouldn't be saved?"
"This is someone our emperor wants to get rid of as soon as possible, but he can't kill him directly."
Seventeen years ago.
Sanchuankou Waterway.
The evil bandits launched a surprise attack.
A person whom the emperor wanted to secretly eliminate.
Mother's death.
Her mother, Lin Gengzhen, was once a prominent figure in the Jianghu, yet her life was cut short at the hands of a group of river bandits, without even being able to escape. Why? How was it possible? Mu Kaiwei had pondered this countless times.
Reminded like this, her thoughts connected the dots into lines, and each clue led to the same direction.
"Seventeen years ago, the old Prince Kang and his wife, along with the young prince Fu Jinxi, were out seeking medical treatment when they encountered bandits from the Sanchuankou River who raided them in the middle of the night. The old prince's men were nearly wiped out, but the young prince managed to escape... So... that was Mother's doing, right? Those bandits from the Sanchuankou River were simply fabricated identities, and they were actually far more formidable opponents, right?" She had so many doubts about her mother's death. Could this be the reason? "The one the Emperor wanted to kill was the old Prince Kang, his own sibling, but... why... they were siblings, and twins... Ah! Twins?!"
Her father nodded. "Growing up twins might be a blessing for the common people, bringing more sons to the family, but in the imperial family, with the distinction between the eldest and second sons, it's always considered a bad omen. Furthermore, the various officials at the Imperial Astronomical Observatory pointed out at the observatory that the second star was poised to overtake the primary, which ultimately planted a murderous intent in the emperor's heart."
Since the killing of King Kang had to be done in secret, the enemies her mother encountered back then must have been a group of hidden assassins hired by the emperor.
She was eight years old that year, but she remembered everything that happened that day clearly. The old man who delivered firewood to her house every day said that he was entrusted with something that needed to be solemnly handed over to the Mu family.
What was handed to her father that day was a plain square cloth bag and a long bundle. Her father opened the two items in front of her. The square cloth bag contained an ink-black urn, and the long bundle contained a green willow soft sword, which was the weapon her mother always carried with her when she traveled around the world.
My mother had only gone out to visit friends, but when she came back she was a jar of ashes.
A letter was attached along with the urn and the soft sword. Later, when she started to walk in the "Six Gates", she asked her father for the letter. The letter said that the swords and knives of the enemies who besieged her mother were all poisoned. Her mother died of excessive blood loss and poison, so the poison remained after being burned into ashes. The ink-colored urn had a poisonous effect, and the ashes needed to be sealed in the urn for three months. The poison in the ashes had to be completely eliminated before it could be opened and reset.
She had heard her father mention that the person who signed the letter was an elderly female elder who had interacted with her ancestors.
When her mother was in danger, it was an elderly female elder who rescued her, but unfortunately it was too late and her mother did not return home alive.
But she could never forget the faint smell of the inky urn that the old female elder had sent back to the Mu family. It was like a brand that was pressed into the bottom of her soul. It was a clear smell with a very light spicy taste, which was the same smell she later smelled on the masked guest Heisan.
She had always wanted to find out what had happened to her mother, and longed to know the process and all the details of the incident. However, because it involved a secret that the royal family dared not disclose, her father had always kept it from her until now.
"Your mother accidentally interfered with Yinqi's affairs back then, and the Emperor naturally knew about it afterwards. However, he didn't touch our Mu family. Father thought he was waiting and watching. And this time, the Emperor agreed to the Empress Dowager's arranged marriage, and seconded it so readily. Father thought... he was trying to test something."
He took advantage of the situation and pointed her to Prince Kang Fu Jinxi, and placed her next to Fu Jinxi. What was he trying to test?
Let's see if her Mu family is on the side of King Kang and is helping King Kang to surpass the emperor's main star?
In the past two days, Mu Kaiwei has been trying to sort out his thoughts.
At the end of the conversation that day, her father asked her not to think too much about it, saying that the Queen Mother had arranged the marriage and the Emperor seconded it, and as a father, he would find a way to resolve it and would not let his daughter become the principal wife of Prince Kang.
But...how can it be solved?
If the king wants his subject to die, the subject has no choice but to die, let alone if it is a marriage.
If her Mu family disobeys the emperor's order, the emperor will be furious and blood will flow. What will be the result?
In the afternoon, the carriage carried her on the official road back to the capital. Due to the heavy rain for several days, the official road was covered with thick mud. Although the rain had slowed down a bit at this time, it was still dripping. The sound of horse hooves splashing water and the sound of wheels turning together gave her a feeling of stealing half a day of leisure, which was quite suitable for relaxing her mind that had been thinking too much recently.
Crack! Bang—
Unexpectedly, the carriage suddenly shook, and the carriage tilted to one side, and the wheels underneath were completely unable to move.
"Miss..." In front of the carriage, the driver of the Mu family, wearing a straw raincoat and a straw hat, hurriedly lifted the curtain to look. "Are you okay?"
"Uncle Gui, I'm fine." Mu Kaiwei sat up straight and casually picked up a few pieces of fruit that had rolled around and put them back into the big basket. He asked, "Did the wheel get stuck in the mud? Is our horse okay?"
Uncle Gui waved his hand. "Nothing's wrong. It's all right. Miss, please stay put. We'll go get the horses and have them pull the cart out of this pit."
"I'll go with you." As she said this, she stood up and prepared to jump out of the car.
Uncle Gui was anxious, waving his hands even more vigorously, and then he simply pulled the curtains tight to prevent Mu Kaiwei from "jumping out of the car." "No, no, no! Miss, don't get out of the car and get wet in the rain! Every young lady should be pampered, and ours is no exception!"
Mu Kaiwei stroked his forehead and sighed with a smile. "Uncle Gui, don't forget I work for the Six Gates. I've been through fire and water, and even heavy rain. How can I be pampered?"
"Well, then, we don't care! We can't care! You are our young lady now, a young lady, not some official wing master. If you get wet in the rain, wouldn't that be a slap in my face? No!"
It is said that "a servant will bully his master when he grows up". This young lady was raised by several old servants in the family. Many of these servants were servants and followers personally hired by her grandfather when he was still alive. She was used to being "bullied" and "disciplined" by them, and she could not show the demeanor of a master.
Mu Kaiwei was just worrying about how to convince Uncle Gui, when suddenly Uncle Gui asked sternly outside the carriage -
“Who?!”
She was suddenly startled and didn't care about anything else. She immediately threw away the car curtain with her hand.
In the rain, Uncle Gui's hunting knife, which had fought with him across the country and shed countless blood, was unsheathed and was facing a dark but extremely finely crafted double-bridle carriage.
The carriage must have approached when Uncle Gui was "arguing" with her. In addition, the sound of rain was incessant and she didn't pay attention to it for a moment. It suddenly stopped there. No wonder Uncle Gui was startled and drew his hunting knife.
The other driver did not answer, but jumped out of the carriage and quickly lifted a large corner of the brocade curtain at the back of the carriage.
"The wheel is stuck, isn't it? Hmm... It looks like it's going to take some effort. If Lord Mu doesn't mind, could you let my men lend a hand?"
The soft and gentle voice like a spring breeze washed over her ears. Mu Kaiwei looked at the man with fair skin leaning against the pillow in the double-bridle carriage. Her heart beat faster and her breathing became a little disordered.
She jumped out of the carriage, pressed down her uncle's knife-holding hand, and bowed her head in greeting. "I didn't realize it was Prince Kang's carriage. I'm sorry for being so rude. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"What's the point of saying forgiveness or not? Lord Mu, if you say that, it means... you don't consider me a friend."
Hearing these shy and resentful words, Mu Kaiwei raised his eyes again, his heart agitated even more.
The "Medicine-jar Prince" in front of her, who was well-known in the imperial capital, had an absolutely pure and innocent expression on his sickly handsome face, and his eyes were also clear. She could tell that the joy contained in them was very pure and true.
It seemed that being able to see her and talk to her was something that made him extremely happy.
"Your Highness, this humble official is not..."
"Would you like to get in the car?" Fu Jinxi suddenly interrupted her and raised his lips shyly. "Let me take you home."
Mu Kaiwei couldn't refuse.
She had even been "favored" by a prince of a super-class and hereditary class. In addition, the rain kept falling and her carriage was stuck in the mud. Her old servant, Uncle Gui, was eager for someone to take good care of her at this time. Therefore, when Fu Jinxi asked her to get in the car in an almost pleading tone, Uncle Gui was happier than anyone else. Without waiting for her to move, he made the decision for her very decisively and pushed her directly into the other carriage.
Fortunately, two guards from Prince Kang's mansion stayed to help Uncle Gui. Mu Kaiwei felt relieved and sat obediently in the spacious carriage with a strong medicinal aroma, sitting opposite the owner of the carriage, each occupying a corner.
The carriage of Prince Kang's palace was indeed comfortable to sit in, and it didn't feel very bumpy even when traveling on the muddy road.
Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it, Mu Kaiwei thought. Furthermore, she had many questions about Prince Kang's Mansion and Fu Jinxi himself that she wanted to clarify, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
"Your Majesty..."
"Master Mu, are you leaving the city today to go to Liuhu Lake, ten miles outside the city, to pay respects to your mother?"
Mu Kaiwei was stunned by the other party's question before he could even finish his question.
Fu Jinxi smiled slightly and said softly, "You're on a day off today, so you're not wearing your official uniform. Instead, you're wearing plain women's clothing. I just noticed that there's an incense table and sacrificial offerings in your carriage, with some fruit offerings falling out of the basket. Looking at the direction the wheels are heading, I can't help but speculate... Am I right?"
Mu Kaiwei imitated him, raising her lips slightly and nodding. "My mother loved the scenery around Liuhu Lake, so my father found a beautiful place for her there so she could rest in peace amidst that beautiful scenery."
"Hmm, hmm... that would be nice." He murmured.
"What did the prince say?" Mu Kaiwei couldn't hear clearly.
He suddenly raised his eyebrows. "No, nothing. I was just saying that Master Mu looks good in this ordinary women's clothing."
Uh... Mu Kaiwei was speechless for a moment.
Because she was wearing women's clothing, she didn't sit cross-legged in front of him, the prince of the Celestial Empire. Instead, she chose to sit sideways with her knees bent. When he lifted her up, she couldn't help but pull at her skirt, running her hands over it. "Then... thank you, Prince Miao Zan."
Taking a deep breath, she gathered herself. "So, how did the prince know that my mother's grave was in Liuhu?"
Who would have known——
"Are you cold?" he asked suddenly.
It's totally out of the ordinary!
"...Ah? Uh, I don't..." She was about to shake her head.
"It must be cold. Spring hasn't arrived yet, the winter rains are continuous, and I just came back from the frosty lake. I'll hug you."
The body covered with snow-white fox fur not only sat up straight, but also leaned towards her.
Prince Kang stuffed something into her hand, but Mu Kaiwei sat there without moving. Only she knew how tense her spine muscles were inexplicably tense in an instant.
Warmth suddenly spread in her palm, so warm that her cold fingertips felt a slight tingling.
She lowered her eyes to see that it was actually an exquisite little hand warmer. It was not until this moment that she realized that it was not that she was not cold, but that she had long regarded such freezing cold as normal.
"This is the prince's hand warmer. I cannot use it." He handed it back.
"I'm not asking you to use it. I'm just asking Sir Mu to help me hold it tightly. The carriage is very bumpy, so don't let it fall."
Upon hearing this, Mu Kaiwei's forehead twitched secretly, and he didn't know what to say.
It was not until she silently lowered her hands and solemnly put the hand warmer in her arms that she heard the man sigh and then say -
"Of course I know where your mother, Lady Lin, is buried. Three generations of your Mu family have served the Heavenly Dynasty. The three judicial offices have grown to their current size and have a strict style that is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The Mu family has made an indelible contribution. And you, as a woman, are in charge of the Six Gates, and you have done a better job than any man. You have solved countless cases and punished the wicked. In my eyes, you are a dashing figure that only appears in legendary stories. You kill one person every ten steps and never stop a single step in a thousand miles..." At this point, his sickly handsome face showed an embarrassed expression again.
"Ever since I was little, I've envied those days of wandering the martial arts world, taking revenge and satisfying my enemies. Unfortunately, due to my frail body, I can only dream of such a life. And the family in the imperial capital that best aligns with my imagination is your Mu family, so I always pay attention to matters concerning the Mu family."
Mu Kaiwei didn't expect such an answer, and his cheeks suddenly felt slightly hot.
The carriage was silent for a moment before she asked, "I've heard that the prince's frailty stems from a strange illness he contracted in childhood... Back then, the old prince and his wife and children were robbed at Sanchuankou. It was truly a tragic event... Does the prince remember how he was ultimately rescued? Do you remember the events of that time? And how was the strange illness cured?"
Fu Jinxi pulled his warm fur coat closer, and his fair face, set off by the fluffy snow fox fur, looked even more handsome and elegant.
He leaned back against the pillow, seeming weary, his voice slow and drawn out. "At the time, I was young and sick, dazed and unable to remember anything. When I regained consciousness, I was already in the care of a female doctor. She treated me with her unique remedies, but the illness came and went like a torrent of pain. I suffered several setbacks, even coming close to death several times. It took a whole year to finally overcome my strange illness. But since the root of the disease was already damaged, full recovery is difficult... Why does Lord Mu want to know this?"
Mu Kaiwei discovered that Prince Kang Fu Jinxi was quite good at asking questions that came out of nowhere. It was not known whether it was intentional or unintentional, but his questions always made people feel uneasy.
"...I'm just curious." He tried to keep his voice level.
She looked at the man's seemingly boneless sitting posture and his pale face, which was almost bloodless. It was as if if the soft fox fur was removed, the body inside was actually so thin that it was frightening, and there was not even a pound of flesh and blood to be found.
After several struggles and near-death experiences, my foundation has been damaged...
She imagined what he described, imagined the young child being ravaged by illness, struggling on the brink of death, finally getting a glimmer of hope, but then having to face the pain of losing both parents with a clear mind... The dull pain in her left chest worsened, and she dared not think about it any further.
Originally, he was secretly planning to try to trick him into talking, to see if Prince Kang Fu Jinxi knew the real reason why his father and mother died at Sanchuankou.
Of course, she also wanted to know if he had seen her mother?
Have you spoken to her mother?
Did her mother leave any last words before she died?
At that time... was mom very reluctant to leave dad and her?
But after trying it out, she suddenly realized she was being too demanding, too demanding. His situation was so difficult at the time. How could she expect a child with a strange illness to remember that real nightmare? How could she?!
She shook her head slightly, her lips curled into a smile. "I hope Your Highness will forgive me. I've served in the Six Gates for many years, and I feel guilty for wanting to clear up any unclear matters."
Fu Jinxi blinked lazily at her, her lips curled up. "So, Grand Commander Mu is trying me like a criminal. Well, I don't agree."
I don't like it if Mu Dazhangyi really treats me as a criminal and tries me.
Mu Kaiwei suddenly remembered a sentence that was once said to her by a very troublesome person.
Black three.
No. Impossible. She must have been overthinking it again, letting her imagination run wild.
After working in this "Six Gates" position for a long time, even the smallest matter has to be carefully considered before letting go. Such suspicion, overthinking and worrying are almost settling into an amber-like disease deep in the heart.
However, on the night Hei San showed up, she tracked his scent and eventually lost the clue outside the high walls of Prince Kang's Mansion.
Who is hiding within the walls of that royal palace? What secrets are they holding?
Or is it all due to her suspicion?
"I dare not." Seeing that he was not really angry, Mu Kaiwei shook his head and smiled again.
As if remembering something, she pulled a small object from the plain pouch tied around her waist, placed it in her palm, and respectfully offered it to Fu Jinxi. "Your Highness, please look at this pearl. Do you recognize it?"
The beads are about the size of a fingernail, round and flawless, with a shimmering green luster. They are lovely toys that can only be polished out of jade with extremely fine water content and extremely delicate craftsmanship.
As if pearl light reflected into the bottom of his pupils, Fu Jinxi's eyes suddenly brightened, and he spoke in a slow tone -
"So this bead is with you." A slight pause. "This is the jade Buddhist bead that the Empress Dowager wore on her wrist all year round. It's made up of eighteen identical beads, and she always used it when she chanted sutras and worshipped the Buddha. But that day, during the robbery at Baohua Temple, it was discovered that the bead bracelet had broken at some point. The palace maids gathered the beads together, but they couldn't find the last one, no matter how hard they searched."
Mu Kaiwei said, "I found it at Guanji's feet. The situation was tense at the time, and I thought I couldn't stop Guanji from escaping. Unexpectedly, he slipped at the critical moment and fell, unable to get up..."
Upon hearing this, Fu Jinxi raised his long, slender eyebrows, his handsome jaw tilting in a nod. "So that's how it is! I understand. The Buddhist beads must have broken at that time, and the one in your hand just so happened to roll to Guanji's feet, and just so happened to land on him. He lost his balance, his lower body collapsed, and he naturally fell flat on his face."
Seeing her pursed her lips in thought, he sat up again and leaned towards her. "Doesn't Lord Mu think so?"
Mu Kaiwei couldn't help but smile bitterly inwardly.
If she didn't think so, did she really think that someone came to her aid at that time, using jade Buddhist beads as a hidden weapon to knock Guan Ji to the ground without her noticing?
The handsome man in front of me suddenly turned his face away, half-hid his face with his wide sleeves, hunched his shoulders and began to cough softly.
Mu Kaiwei didn't think twice and quickly presented the hand warmer and the jade Buddhist beads. "Your Highness... take care."
The coughing finally stopped, and tears glistened in the corners of her eyes from coughing.
When he glanced at her and slowly rubbed his eyelashes at her, a weak smile appeared on his pale lips.
Mu Kaiwei really felt that he was not good at comforting others and should say something more instead of just the empty words "take care".
"I'm traveling by carriage today because the imperial physicians advised me to breathe in more fresh air, which would strengthen my body and brighten my mind." Fu Jinxi first accepted the small hand warmer she had returned and tucked it into her warm fur coat. "But meeting Lord Mu today, being able to ride in the same carriage with you and have a conversation with you, is more relaxing than anything else."
Mu Kaiwei was a little dazed by his "confession". She moved her lips but was speechless for a while.
The carriage stopped at this moment, and the attendant's voice could be clearly heard from outside the heavy brocade curtain -
"Master, we have arrived at the gate of the Mu Mansion."
When Mu Kaiwei heard this, he instinctively wanted to lift the curtain and get out of the car.
Her thoughts were very straightforward. She thought that she had to get off the car first so that she could stand up straight, and then she could straighten her clothes before she could straighten her skirt. After that, she could bow and thank him solemnly. However, she could not do anything because Prince Kang chose this moment to reach out and take the jade Buddhist beads from her hand.
As a result...he actually held her hand, along with the bead.
"...Prince?" She didn't care about things like "men and women should not touch each other", but her hand was covered and held like this without any warning, and it was inevitable that her heartbeat was disordered.
In the slightly dim carriage, his gaze was quiet and deep, as if he was struggling to organize his thoughts and turn them into words.
"When I was young, my father and mother were in danger of death while trying to take me to seek medical treatment. I should have died, but I survived. Ever since I returned to the capital, rumors have never ceased about my fate being cursed by evil and bringing misfortune upon both my father and mother. Then, when I was eighteen, I was favored by the Empress Dowager and my uncle, the Emperor, who both chose a wife for me... The Lord Wing Commander who travels around the capital should have heard of this."
Mu Kai murmured. "One is the granddaughter of the Zhu family, and the other is the daughter of the Minister of Rites." She could easily shake him off, but for some reason she didn't. It wasn't because he was a prince of the Celestial Empire, but... it seemed... she felt that directly getting rid of him would hurt his feelings.
Suddenly she realized that she actually didn't want to see him feel bad.
The reason is... well, maybe it's because he has a face that needs to be protected?
Fu Jinxi twitched her lips, forcing a wry smile. "Yes...that's right. But after the young lady of the Zhu family was betrothed to me, she fell ill and fell into a coma. Later, Lord Zhu came to the palace to complain. The old man, over eighty years old, wept profusely and begged the emperor to revoke his decision and cancel the engagement between the granddaughter of the Zhu family and me. The emperor was forced to accede to the request of this veteran minister, and once the engagement was broken off, the young lady of the Zhu family woke up... Then, the same thing happened again with the second arranged marriage. The young lady of the Minister of Rites fell asleep and never woke up. Again, her condition improved after the engagement was broken off."
She pursed her lips. "Why did Your Majesty bring this up to your humble attention?"
He sighed softly. "Don't you really understand? The Queen Mother designated you as Prince Kang's principal wife because that day at Baohua Temple, you killed the evil monk and arrested the villain with ruthless tactics and extraordinary courage. You were like a single man standing against ten thousand. They wanted you to marry into Prince Kang's mansion so that they could quell the evil, to quell this evil star of mine."
Mu Kaiwei really didn't expect him to say it so bluntly.
And it's normal for a man and a woman to feel shy when talking about marriage, but he didn't. Instead, he had an expression of distress and worry, and she didn't feel the same way. She just felt that he was a little... pitiful.
Not knowing what words to say to comfort him, she simply held his hand back, afraid that the beads in her palm would hit him. She quickly eased off the pressure as soon as she tried to hold it too tightly.
His gaze suddenly changed and he stared at her without blinking.
"Your Highness... is definitely not an evil star, don't think too much about it." Eh, she really can't speak.
A sudden flash of inspiration struck her mind, and she raised her chin proudly. "What about me? Your Highness, look at me! The Queen Mother betrothed me to you, and I'm still fine. I'm not boasting, but I've been strong and healthy since I was a child, never sick, as strong as an ox. Now I want to see how I can show off if that 'coma' happens to me. Eh?! Uh..." Wait! That's not right! She had originally intended to use herself to persuade him to forgive her, but in the end... it seemed... it seemed as if she could really suppress the evil spirit and wouldn't fall into a "coma" just because she was betrothed to him.
My head hurts. So miserable! What the hell is she talking about?
However, Fu Jinxi smiled, revealing her white teeth, and her sweet laughter could pluck the heartstrings of those who heard it.
But Mu Kaiwei didn't know whether he was laughing at her clumsy speech or was amused by her. He only knew that if a person was born with such delicate eyebrows, eyes, mouth and nose as his, he would have to smile more to live up to the will of heaven.
His laughter gradually faded, his thumb caressed her skin intentionally or unintentionally, and the light in his eyes also became quiet.
"I understand that I am not a good match for Lord Mu. The Queen Mother's arranged marriage is difficult for your Mu family to refuse, so let me do it. I can do what I can do well and give you an explanation. I will never make things difficult for your Mu family."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com