chsdbacks Chapter 305. She walked away shyly, leaning against the door, and smelled the green plum.
Chapter 305. She walked away shyly, leaning against the door, and smelled the green plum.
Chapter 305 She walked away shyly, leaning against the door and turning back to smell the green plum.
Li Xijun had no intention of concealing his whereabouts. Under the watchful eyes of countless people, some open and some hidden, filled with astonishment and curiosity, he walked openly to the imposing gate of the Mu family.
The gatekeeper had clearly been instructed beforehand; upon seeing him, he not only did not stop him but became even more respectful. A steward-like subordinate quickly stepped forward, bowed, and led the way: "Your Highness, your husband is waiting in the backyard. Please follow us."
We walked through corridors and courtyards, arriving directly at the back courtyard room where Madam Mu resided.
The servants escorted them to the door and then withdrew.
Li Xijun pushed open the door and entered, but found the room to be unusually quiet and empty. Not only was Madam Mu nowhere to be seen, but even the maids and servants who usually served her were nowhere to be found.
He felt a little strange. The Mu family was one of the most prestigious families in the capital, with strict rules. How could there be no one to serve the mistress in her room?
His mental energy swept out like mercury spilling onto the ground, and he instantly sensed that there was only one aura lurking behind the screen in the room.
Just as his thoughts were turning, a dark shadow appeared silently behind him like a ghost, moving with astonishing speed.
The next instant, a delicate, warm, and soft hand, yet carrying a hint of coolness, gently pressed against the back of his neck.
Immediately afterwards, a voice, deliberately lowered to sound fierce yet unable to conceal its inherent gentleness, rang in his ear, carrying a hint of feigned intimidation:
"Hehehe—Your Highness, the dignified prince, has finally fallen into my hands."
"Today I'll make you taste the power of my broken bones, and torture you thoroughly to avenge what happened in the past!"
The man's laughter clearly carried a hint of deliberately imitating a villain from the martial arts world.
However, upon hearing this, Li Xijun not only showed no nervousness, but almost burst out laughing.
Even without using his mental powers, he instantly recognized the newcomer's identity simply from the familiar, rich fragrance emanating from behind him, carrying a hint of the Vermilion Bird Venerable's cool floral scent, and the uniquely soft touch of his fingertips against his skin.
Who else could it be but the usually aloof and elegant Vermilion Bird Venerable, Mu Wanqiu, who is now in a playful mood?
"It seems she's returned to her own residence, relieved of the burden of being a Venerable One. This Sister Mu has revealed a rare touch of girlishness." Li Xijun smiled inwardly, finding Mu Wanqiu in this state quite lively and interesting compared to the usual Vermilion Bird Venerable. He found it amusing, but outwardly he reacted very cooperatively, his body pausing slightly, his voice carrying a "just right" hint of surprise and "forced composure":
"Who are you, esteemed guest? This is the inner quarters of the Mu family; how dare you act so presumptuously!"
Seeing his cooperation, Mu Wanqiu behind him wanted to continue the act, but when she heard the barely concealed smile in Li Xijun's words, she immediately felt bored.
She reluctantly withdrew her hand, and in a flash, she appeared in front of Li Xijun, her tone tinged with a hint of defeat and coquettishness:
"This is boring! How come you're not even a little bit nervous? Did you already know it was me?"
At this moment, Mu Wanqiu was not dressed in her usual magnificent and solemn red palace attire. She was only wearing a light red soft gauze dress, simple in style, exuding a relaxed and comfortable feel. Her long, black hair was casually draped over her shoulders, loosely held back only by a jade hairpin.
What's even more striking is that she was barefoot, with her delicate, white feet directly on the spotless, gleaming wooden floor.
The snow-white ankles, the delicate arches, and the slightly pink toes created a striking image in this quaint and elegant room.
She shed her former dignity and aloofness, becoming like a young girl at home, yet her mature charm and unintentional allure combined to create an indescribable temptation.
Li Xijun's gaze fell on her bare feet, and he couldn't help but pause slightly, momentarily lost in thought.
His appearance clearly pleased Mu Wanqiu.
A smug yet playful smile curved her lips. She lightly touched her lips with her slender finger and said with a smile:
"In ancient times, there was a strange object called the 'Image Retention Stone,' but unfortunately it has been lost to time. Otherwise, if we could record your current absent-minded appearance, Lord Star, and send it to Xiao Qinghan, it would surely be quite interesting."
Li Xijun snapped out of her reverie, and upon hearing this, she wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, she smiled calmly, her gaze still appreciating the beautiful scenery before her, and sincerely exclaimed:
"Sister Mu, you misunderstand. I wasn't lost in thought; I was simply admiring a rare and beautiful scene. Your demeanor reminds me of a poem I once read, and the sentiment is quite similar."
"Oh? What poem?" Mu Wanqiu's interest was piqued, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she asked curiously.
After a moment's hesitation, Li Xijun slowly recited the graceful poem from his memory:
"It's from a female poet's poem 'Dian Jiang Chun' that the line 'Seeing a guest arrive, she slips off her socks and hairpins. She runs away shyly, leans against the door, and turns back to smell the green plums.' Although the context is slightly different, the lively and unintentional charm that Sister Mu just revealed has quite a bit of the spirit of the young girl in the poem."
Although Mu Wanqiu was a martial artist, she came from a prestigious family and was well-versed in literature.
Now, upon closer examination of these lines of poetry, I find them both apt and elegant in this context, describing my earlier actions in a charming and touching way, instantly filling me with joy.
"This poem is excellent! I love it." She looked at Li Xijun with sparkling eyes. "Then I'll punish you by making you write it down for me."
The two then walked together to the desk in the corner of the room.
Li Xijun ground the ink, laid out the paper, dipped his brush in ink, and neatly wrote down the poem.
Mu Wanqiu leaned over slightly to watch, her hair occasionally brushing against Li Xijun's arm.
Because they were so close, she suddenly remembered that Li Xijun had said he recognized her by her scent. With a thought, she couldn't help but quietly move closer to Li Xijun's neck and gently sniff her.
A faint, refreshing scent, like that of a forest after the rain, mixed with herbs and spirit trees, reached her nose. It wasn't strong, but it was exceptionally clean and pleasant, causing her to lose herself slightly and unconsciously move a little closer.
However, just as the atmosphere between the two was becoming increasingly intimate, a soft cough sounded from the doorway.
The two looked up at the same time and saw that Madam Mu had been standing at the door at some point, with a big smile on her face. Her eyes swept back and forth between the two people standing side by side at very close distance, and the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.
Li Xijun then realized that the two of them were being too intimate, so she coughed lightly and put a little distance between them.
A faint blush appeared on Mu Wanqiu's face, but she quickly regained her usual composed and elegant demeanor.
Before Madam Mu could even make a joke, she preemptively straightened her expression and said:
"Mother's return is just in time. Xijun and I were just about to discuss some important matters."
She turned to Li Xijun, her tone regaining its usual calm and competence: "Your return has caused quite a stir. Your status as a 'prince' should also be clearly defined."
When Madam Mu saw that her daughter was talking about serious matters, she also put away her joking thoughts, walked to the main seat and sat down, and gestured for Li Xijun to sit down as well.
She looked at Li Xijun and cut straight to the point: "Xijun, now that you've returned, and without any attempt to conceal your whereabouts, is it intentional—"
Entering the palace?
Li Xijun nodded and said frankly, "That is indeed my intention. The world is in chaos, and someone is needed to stabilize it. If I take this position, perhaps I can bring order to this turmoil sooner."
Of course, more importantly, Li Xijun wanted to see the legendary "Emperor Dragon Fist".
"Very well!" A hint of appreciation flashed in Madam Mu's eyes. "Since you have this intention, then I will tell you about the current situation in the capital."
She held up two fingers and said clearly:
"Firstly, there are currently two main factions within the palace, which can essentially be considered as one after His Majesty's disappearance; both hope to maintain the legitimacy of the royal family."
"Firstly, there is Her Majesty the Empress. She comes from the Sword Sect and represents the sect's interests. However, the hearts of the people are still mostly with the royal family, and the Sword Sect needs a stable royal family to protect its interests. Therefore, the Empress hopes to reach an agreement with you, the prince, to continue the traditional relationship and resource exchanges between the royal family and the Sword Sect. This is a force that can be won over, and even cooperated with."
"Secondly, there is Eunuch Wei in the palace. He was trained by His Majesty from childhood, and his 'Innate Child Qi' has reached a state of perfection. He is a powerful expert at the peak of the sixth level of the Outer Realm and has a very high prestige in the palace. However, the power of a eunuch ultimately comes from the emperor. Now that His Majesty has disappeared, although his power is still there, he is inevitably illegitimate and has recently been impeached by the civil officials in the court, causing him a lot of trouble."
He needed a legitimate master more than anyone else to stabilize the situation. Therefore, despite his infamous reputation, he was still useful.
2
Madam Mu paused for a moment, then continued:
"Outside the palace, the main adversary is the Crimson-Blooded Marquis. Despite being a member of the royal family and a martial artist, he has earned a great reputation over the years, claiming to be loyal, righteous, and fair in rewarding and punishing. Especially in the past year, he has made no attempt to hide his ambition."
"As for Zhuge Shenhou, he is considered a leader of the upright officials in the court, and his only wish is for the stability of the court and the peace of the world. Therefore, he has always been at odds with Chidan Shenhou."
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Li Xijun listened quietly, and a clear picture of the power structure in the capital city quickly formed in his mind.
This mess seems to be more interesting than he expected.