Shangguan Wan Ning went back to Mu Mansion every day to take care of Mu Jingrui. Shangguan Yue and his wife knew about it, but they did not stop them and just turned a blind eye and passed by.
They also acquiesced in the interactions between Shangguan Wan Ning and Mu Jingrui.
"Are you worried?"
After Mu Jingrui made the wrong move for the third time, Shangguan Wan Ning stopped, collected the chess pieces and put them back.
"If you have something to do, you don't have to accompany me."
Mu Jingrui smiled faintly and held Shangguan Wan Ning's hand.
"Sorry, I was really thinking about something just now. So I got distracted. If I play another game, I promise that I will give it my whole heart."
Shangguan Wan Ning shook her head.
"The joy of playing chess should be without distracting thoughts. If you are too preoccupied, you won't be able to appreciate the fun."
Shangguan Wan Ning was not angry. She happened to see the maid coming with the medicine, so she took it and tested the temperature.
"You should drink the medicine. It's time for me to go back."
Mu Jingrui just took a shallow sip, and the bitter taste made him frown.
"What? General Mu is not afraid of thousands of troops, so why is he afraid of drinking this bitter medicine?"
Mu Jingrui didn't care about Shangguan Wanning's teasing and said, "I'm not afraid of the bitterness of the medicine, I'm afraid that you will leave after I finish drinking it."
Shangguan Wan Ning's heart moved, and there was also a trace of nostalgia and reluctance.
"Ning'er, when...can you stay and never leave again?" Mu Jingrui could also guess that Shangguan Yue and his wife should no longer object to their marriage.
"I don't know, you... just ask my parents yourself."
Shangguan Wan Ning withdrew her hand and lowered her eyes shyly. "I'm leaving. Remember to drink the medicine. If it gets completely cold, the medicine will no longer be effective."
Mu Jingrui wanted to persuade him to stay, but when he saw the housekeeper coming in a hurry, he had to suppress this thought.
"Be careful on the road."
He watched Shangguan Wan Ning's figure disappear completely, and then the housekeeper came over.
"What's up?"
There was no warmth in Mu Jingrui's voice, and the smile on his handsome face completely disappeared.
The housekeeper quietly raised his eyes and looked at him, feeling a little dazed for a moment.
At this time, Mu Jingrui was completely different from the previous one.
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has sent someone to convey a message, asking you to come."
Mu Jingrui immediately went back to his room and changed his clothes. After arriving at the Prince's Mansion, he was ushered into the study by Xiao Yujue's confidant.
He was looking at the official documents on the desk, his brows furrowed in a daze.
"See His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"No gift." Xiao Yujue was a little listless.
"Your Highness, has something happened?"
Xiao Yujue did not answer, but handed the official document to Mu Jingrui.
This is the appointment letter regarding the Minister of Industry.
The man who was appointed as the Minister of Industry was Ling Ruiying's trusted lieutenant.
Although this man fought bravely, he knew nothing about the matters that the Ministry of Works was dealing with.
It is obviously unreasonable to place such a person in such an important position.
"In recent times, Ling Ruiying seems to have been crazy about placing his own people in various positions and departments in the government..."
Mu Jingrui's brows also wrinkled.
Ling Ruiying's behavior is somewhat unreasonable no matter how you look at it.
Now in the court, the battle between the Crown Prince and the King of Qin has been decided. Xiao Yujue is the only one qualified to inherit the throne, there is no doubt.
If Ling Ruiying wanted to stay in the capital permanently, the best way would be to seek refuge with Xiao Yujue.
But, he didn't.
Even after he came back for so long, he never extended an olive branch to Xiao Yujue; even when Xiao Yujue took the initiative to show his kindness, he just pretended not to see it.
What on earth is he going to do?
"Jing Rui, what do you think?"
Mu Jingrui shook his head thoughtfully.
"Ling Ruiying belongs to the maternal family of the Queen Mother and Queen Mother. When the Queen Mother wanted to get closer to you, but you refused for Xiao Yan, the Ling family put their chips on King Qin. But now that King Qin has lost power, they no longer have anyone to support...
…”
"There is something that I have always found quite strange." Xiao Yujue frowned, "It seems that King Qin was deposed too easily. If the Queen Mother and the Empress are willing to mediate, it will not be irreversible."
"Then there's only one way left."
Mu Jingrui and Xiao Yujue looked at each other.
"Your Highness, no matter whether our guess is correct or not, there is nothing wrong with being cautious."
"You are right." Xiao Yujue said, "I leave this matter to you. Since you cannot use it for your own use, you must treat it as an enemy."
"yes."
The two chatted about some specific arrangements, and it was dusk in the blink of an eye.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess has prepared the meal. I asked the servant to come over and ask when you will come over."
Xiao Yujue seemed a little embarrassed and waved her hand to the guard.
The guard immediately went out and dismissed the maid.
"Today is the fifteenth. According to the rules, I should go to Zhenzhen's place..."
Of course Mu Jingrui knew. "Your Highness, Xiaoyan is willful and needs some effort from Your Highness to train her. Don't break the rules for her."
"Alas!" Xiao Yujue sighed deeply, "If you can understand me, that would be the best."
Mu Jingrui could hear the helplessness in Xiao Yujue's words. It seemed that Mu Jingyan had done a lot in fighting for favor.
He couldn't help but secretly sigh that he would definitely only marry Shangguan Wan Ning from now on.
The capital city has been quiet for a while, but with the arrival of the Lunar Festival that occurs once every three years, the streets and alleys are boiling again.
Christmas Day is a day that all unmarried men and women look forward to.
On this day, both unmarried and married girls can play at Yuelaojia outside the city all night long.
In order to pray for Yue Lao, every Yue Lao Festival will select talented women who are all-powerful to the country and kneel down to worship Yue Lao and offer incense.
However, no lady from an official family would let their own daughter appear in public, so Yue Lao Dan became a time for girls with business backgrounds to compete for the limelight.
Everyone hopes to become an oiran that day, attract the favor of the descendants of kings, grandsons and nobles, and achieve a class leap.
"Miss, look, it's really lively." Sitting in the carriage, Lu Tong raised the curtain and looked at the bustle outside, her face flushed with excitement.
"Oh, sit back." Shangguan Wanning pulled her back for the third time, "Look at you, you look like you've never been on the street."
"Then... the streets are usually not so lively, and there are not so many weird things." Lutong rolled his eyes and begged, "Miss, when you eat later, can you give me half of it?"
I have an hour to spare, and I would like to take a walk."
After Lu Tong finished speaking, she saw Shangguan Wan Ning's face darken. She was so frightened that she stuck out her tongue, lowered her head and did not dare to speak any more.
"You." Shangguan Wan Ning chuckled and poked her forehead, "Well, you only have half an hour, and you have to let Lao Zhou follow you. You are not allowed to get into trouble, do you understand?"