0p0 Chapter 235 Consensus Reached! (1)
Chapter 235 Consensus Reached! (1)
Mu Xin Nuan's silence suddenly made Duanmu Chu Ze feel a pang of heartache!
She's just a fourteen-year-old girl, yet she's gone to such lengths for two families. Just how many secrets is she hiding?
“Anuan, we’ve known each other for quite some time now. I know you very well. To be fair, if you have any questions, just ask! I’ll answer them to the best of my knowledge.”
"really?"
"really!"
Mu Xin Nuan looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then gritted her teeth and asked, "Tell me, are you loyal to the Crown Prince's faction?"
Duanmu Chuze raised an eyebrow. “Of course! He is my own brother, a sibling from the same mother, so of course I will side with him.”
"That's not right! Aren't you and the King of Light born of the same mother?"
Duanmu Chuze was taken aback. "Of course! However, I've been close to my elder brother, the Crown Prince, since childhood. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he watched me grow up!"
"I see. Then let me ask you another question: if Prince Ming were to plot to seize the position of Crown Prince, what would you think?"
Duanmu Chuze's expression became slightly more serious. "What else can we do? Of course we have to stop him! It's not easy for Dayong to be where it is today. The Duanmu family absolutely cannot have any more internal strife. Otherwise, it will only make our loved ones suffer and our enemies rejoice! The Turks in the north are just waiting for us to have internal strife."
"Then let me ask you, what if I were to deal with the Bright King?"
"You want to deal with the Ming King? Why?" Duanmu Chuze was genuinely puzzled this time! How could a young girl like her dare to say such treasonous things?
"Don't ask me why. I'll just ask you, if I were to become enemies with the Ming King, whose side would you take?"
When Duanmu Chuze heard her ask this question, he immediately understood. He thought that the girl was proud and wanted to get a clear answer from him, just like a modern girl who would ask her boyfriend, "If I fell into the river with his mother, who would he save first?"
However, this time, Duanmu Chuze was really wrong!
"help you!"
"really?"
"What good would it do me to lie to you?" Duanmu Chuze laughed. "In fact, even if I didn't help you, I would still have to guard against him making a move against my elder brother, the Crown Prince. After all, the temptation of the throne is just too great. Brother Ming, it seems you've forgotten that we are all brothers!"
"Duanmu Chuze!" Mu Xin Nuan blurted out, then realized it was inappropriate and quickly corrected herself, "No, Your Highness, would you really kill Prince Ming?"
"Not necessarily! It depends on how things develop. Little Anuan, you seem to have a deep-seated prejudice against my brother, the Prince Ming."
"How could the many ministers in the court not see the Emperor's intentions? It's just that, as you said, you are all brothers born of the same mother, and no one is willing to say it out loud! I believe the Emperor has also seen some of it, but in the end, he is somewhat reluctant to do it."
Duanmu Chuze could no longer laugh, because Mu Xinnuan's analysis was absolutely right!
Thinking back to when I first returned to the capital, my father summoned me to the imperial study and spent an hour there. Every word he spoke was a reminder not to forget my bond with the Crown Prince. His words also revealed some dissatisfaction with Prince Ming, yet he seemed to still hold onto a sliver of hope.
It is clear that the Emperor had indeed sensed that Prince Ming had ulterior motives, but he still hoped that Prince Ming would remember their brotherhood and not go too far!
"Little Anuan, you haven't given me an answer yet regarding our marriage."
Duanmu Chuze suddenly changed the subject, causing Mu Xin Nuan to blush slightly. "There's no rush! I still have two years until my coming-of-age ceremony. Besides, marriage is a serious matter, not a game. You deceived me with a mask for so long before, isn't it my turn to test you?"
Mu Xin Nuan herself didn't realize how girlish her tone was!
Duanmu Chuze smiled with a hint of smugness, "Fine! Do as you please. I don't have to come and propose marriage yet, since you're still young. But there's one thing: you must not meet with anyone else besides me. Otherwise, I don't mind bringing people into the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and taking you away!"
Mu Xin Nuan felt slightly embarrassed. How did this Prince Chang Le's words become so inappropriate? What did he mean by meeting with someone in secret? Every time she met him before, wasn't it him sneaking into the Mu residence at night? Now, it's become her fault!
This person has an incredibly thick skin!
"You're being unreasonable! Who agreed to your marriage? I only said that you're young and that marriage is a serious matter, and it should be decided by your parents. Fine, I won't say any more. Let me ask you, what do you plan to do with these properties on this list?"
"Don't rush things! In fact, I've already planted people in there. Don't worry, money isn't a big problem. What's more, there are a few places here that are excellent sources of information. I've already had people infiltrate them, and there will be a reward in the future."
"Let me ask you again, do you know the Second Young Master Jin of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion?"
"Jin Er?" Duanmu Chuze frowned slightly. "I don't recall him. What's wrong? Did he offend you?"
Mu Xin Nuan recounted how he and Mu Xin Yao had conspired against her, and then added, "If it weren't for the reputation of our Mu family, I really should have just arranged for the two of them to get together!"
Duanmu Chuze nodded, his expression slightly cold. "A woman's reputation is of utmost importance. This Jin Er has quite the nerve!"
"That's why I felt that this matter couldn't be that simple." Mu Xin Nuan said, her eyes sparkling brightly, like starlight, shining brilliantly!
Duanmu Chuze paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "You mean to say that there must be someone behind him giving advice, or even someone backing him up?"
"That's right! I suspect that person is actually the Ming King!"
Duanmu Chuze's expression turned serious. The Marquis of Dingyuan's family was a prosperous clan for centuries, and a hundred years ago, one of their members had become a prince consort. Although their power had waned, they were still deeply rooted and not to be underestimated. It was highly likely that the Ming King had chosen to support Jin Er!
"The Jin family has always been loyal to the Emperor. Since the Crown Prince was established, they have fully supported the Crown Prince. If Prince Ming wants to gain the Jin family's support, he will inevitably have to take a risky move. Vigorously supporting a son of a concubine and letting him fight against the Marquis's heir is a good way to dismantle the Jin family's power. At the same time, if Jin Yang dies, then the future of the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion will only depend on this Jin Er!"