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Chapter 69.1: I Want You
Under Murong Jin’s persistent persuasion, Pear Blossom finally agreed to take the young lady home as a guest.
Recalling how embarrassed she was last time when she had arrived empty-handed and couldn’t even bring herself to enter the house, Murong Jin had specially dragged Pear Blossom to the market before their visit to buy several items: candies and pastries for children, a few sets of calligraphy and painting supplies for Pear Blossom’s younger siblings who were starting to learn, and some wine for Dagen and brocades for the Xiong family, among other things.
After purchasing the gifts, just as the two of them were leaving the city gates, Murong Jin suddenly slapped her forehead and remembered that today was supposed to be a special visit to see the fairy, but she had forgotten to buy a gift for the fairy. She hurriedly asked Pear Blossom what Xia Xunyan liked.
Pear Blossom thought for a moment and said, “The teacher is usually very quiet and doesn’t care much for food or fashion. She doesn’t seem to have any particular desires. Truly like a fairy—indifferent to the world, spending every day just writing. I don’t even know what she writes about.”
Murong Jin, after hearing this, paused for a moment, then came up with an idea. “Since she loves writing, she must have a special fondness for books. I just don’t know which type of books she prefers. How about…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Pear Blossom suddenly jumped up, as if her tail had been stepped on by a cat, and nervously interrupted, “Don’t do anything reckless!”
Murong Jin looked at her in confusion. “Why are you so nervous? I’m saying, someone like her who doesn’t want to be confined to a big family and chooses to live in your countryside villa must love traveling and yearn for freedom. I guess she might like travel diaries or similar books. I happen to have a treasured travelogue, and I’ll bring it to her later.”
After hearing Murong Jin’s explanation, Pear Blossom realized she had been overly anxious. She watched as Murong Jin rode her horse and turned back toward the escort agency.
At the city gate, Xiaoba had already spotted Murong Jin in her red outfit. Seeing her turn back into the city, Xiaoba couldn’t help but talk to Pear Blossom. “Sister, it seems like you and Miss Murong are really close. You don’t seem like a practice partner, but more like two sisters.”
As he said this, he gave Pear Blossom an up-and-down look, feeling that she seemed a little different from when he saw her two days ago. Her face and the back of her hand were more delicate and fair, even her facial features seemed to have become more attractive.
“I didn’t pay attention to you for the past two days, but you seem to have become even prettier.”
Pear Blossom assumed he was trying to get closer to her because of Murong Jin and just smiled politely, saying, “The young lady is very kind. She doesn’t act superior in front of people like us.”
Xiaoba scoffed, clearly not believing her. “How many daughters of high families would actually think highly of people like us?”
Pear Blossom didn’t argue and just said, “You’ll see soon enough.”
Not long after, the sound of hooves could be heard as Murong Jin rode back toward the city gate.
The soldiers at the city gate didn’t dare to stop the young lady. They quickly put away their spears and stood aside respectfully to let her pass.
Pear Blossom noticed that Murong Jin was holding several things in her hands— a travelogue, a small box, and a small toy, seemingly for a child.
Murong Jin noticed Pear Blossom’s gaze and smiled, waving the gifts in her hand. “My fairy sister gets a gift, and your Dong sister can’t be left out. I’ve also prepared a small gift for your precious Fubao.”
When Pear Blossom heard that Dong sister also had a gift, her tightly pursed lips relaxed, and she said, “Okay.”
Then, she suddenly turned to Xiaoba, who was standing aside, and said to Murong Jin, “Murong Jin, this is Xiaoba.”
Xiaoba, being called out, froze in place, not reacting at first.
Murong Jin immediately smiled and said, “Hey, Xiaoba, I know you.”
Xiaoba stuttered, unable to say anything for a while. When he finally tried to speak, the two girls were already riding their horses, heading out of the city, leaving behind a trail of Murong Jin’s clear, bright laughter.
When they reached Dongping, just a step away from Daliushu Village, they saw a carriage and four horses ahead of them, hurrying along.
As if hearing the sound of hooves behind them, the person inside the carriage pulled back the curtain and, upon seeing Murong Jin, paused for a moment before calling out, “Murong niece—”
Murong Jin quickly reined in her horse, turned to look, and smiled, “Uncle He, what a coincidence! What brings such an important figure like you to the countryside?”
Murong Jiutian, known in both the black and white worlds, frequently traveled on escort missions and regularly interacted with officials in the city. Without proper connections, some rude people might stop them at the gates to check goods, delaying them for hours.
As Murong Jin’s beloved daughter, she had accompanied her father on escort missions since she was young, sometimes even helping him with business dealings with prominent figures. Therefore, she had met some of the local officials, and she was familiar with their daughters, making her an old acquaintance with them.
At that moment, Master He, who was both excited and anxious, still took the time to talk with the two young ladies.
Just this morning, the jailer had reported that a few lines dropped earlier had caught some fish. Daliushu Village’s Xiang Kui had come to report, saying that there was a person named Liu Dagen in the village who had taken in a strange woman. This woman matched the description of someone in a previous drawing.
After receiving the news, the Master He immediately dispatched a messenger on horseback to encircle the family, while he himself followed in a carriage.
Thinking about how soon he would be able to capture them and how wealth and prestige were within reach, he felt in a good mood and became even more amiable toward Murong Jin.
“It’s just a small matter,” Master He replied with a smile, “Where is my niece planning to go?”
Murong Jin pointed ahead and said, “Over there, to the big willow tree village in front, my junior sister’s home.”
She then pointed to Pear Blossom.
Upon hearing this, Master He frowned and looked at Pear Blossom in confusion. “When did your father take in such a disciple? I never heard of this.”
Murong Jin chuckled. “He just took her in not long ago. Her family’s eggs are particularly delicious, and my mother loves them. My father took her in so that my mother could have eggs to eat.”
Pear Blossom was also amused by Murong Jin’s words. She cupped her hands and greeted, “I apologize for not greeting earlier, please forgive me, Master He.”
Since Pear Blossom was Murong Jiutian’s disciple, Master He dared not make things difficult for her. He waved his hand and smiled, “No need to mention it. By the way, since you live in the big willow tree village, do you know Liu Dagen’s family?”
Pear Blossom’s heart tightened, instantly on high alert. She answered calmly, “My father is Liu Dagen. May I ask, Master He, what is your business with my father?”
Upon hearing this, the smile vanished from Master He’s face, and he immediately stopped his horse, got out of the carriage, and blocked the way of the two.
Although Murong Jin was related to him, as an official, even she dared not be too bold. The two had no choice but to dismount, and Murong Jin’s expression darkened. She asked in a low voice, “Uncle, what is the meaning of this?”
Master He, however, turned toward Pear Blossom and sharply asked, “Let me ask you, does your family have a young woman around the age of twenty?”
Pear Blossom’s heart skipped a beat. Despite all her precautions, she had failed to cover up the fact that Teacher Xia was hidden in her home. Who could have leaked the information?
Suddenly, she recalled what Dong Yun had said yesterday, that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law went to find her parents to plead on their behalf. They first went home and found no one, and then they went to the fields. Could it have been these two who peered over the wall and saw Teacher Xia?
The system in her mind reported, “Host, your home has been surrounded by six or seven constables. They have blocked all the exits, and no one inside can escape.”
Before she could respond, Murong Jin had already spoken first, “I thought my uncle usually enjoys a comfortable life, but today you’re making the trip to the countryside. I see now it’s for a reason. But I don’t know who you are looking for, to go to such lengths?”
Master He was interrupted by her, and his anger seemed to dissipate slightly. Seeing that he had already sent people ahead, he casually glanced at Murong Jin and said, “Niece, if your father’s good disciple has hidden someone without reporting it, even if your uncle belongs to the Town Protectorate, he might not escape involvement!”
Hearing this, Murong Jin smiled and asked, “Who is this person you speak of, Master He?”
“Are you pretending to be ignorant, my dear niece?” Master He narrowed his eyes. “Everyone knows that the late Emperor’s bloodline has been lost among the common people for five or six years. His Majesty is now searching for the princess to bring her back to the palace to enjoy familial bliss. But the princess has been deceived by evil men, hiding and fleeing, and her whereabouts are still unknown. Even worse, some people know the truth but do not report it, trying to separate the Emperor and the princess. Shouldn’t they be punished?”
Pear Blossom’s heart sank upon hearing this, as if a giant stone had been thrown into a lake, causing waves of shock. The Master she had unknowingly saved was actually a princess! But why had the princess kept her identity a secret, preferring to hide in their small courtyard rather than return to the palace?
Now her house was surrounded, and she was deeply entangled in the situation, not knowing the full picture. Afraid of slipping up, she decided to stay silent and quietly observe how the two would handle things.
Murong Jin, upon hearing Master He’s words, also showed a slight change in expression. Seeing his calm demeanor, she realized that he must have already planned ahead.
They were about to enter the village and could no longer avoid it, so she forced herself to stay calm. “If the person you’re referring to is indeed the late Emperor’s only princess—Yuwen Yue, I can honestly say I’ve never seen her. My junior sister, being a country girl, would have no chance of meeting her. Even if she had saved someone by accident, how could she have known that this person was the one His Majesty is looking for?”
“You’re acting like you already know everything,” Master He sneered. “Your uncle, as a commandant of the Town Protectorate, and you, his niece, should be more aware of the stakes. When encountering women of similar age, you should be more cautious. Yet here you are pretending to be deaf and mute. Are you trying to hide this woman and defy the Emperor?”
By the end, his tone became more aggressive, and his previously friendly gaze toward Murong Jin was now filled with hostility.
Murong Jin smiled and shook her head. “Regardless of whether the woman is Princess Mingyue, you just mentioned that the princess is noble and greatly cherished by His Majesty. But now, according to your words, my junior sister, who kindly saved the princess, is being treated as a criminal for harboring her. How can this be justified? And what should we say about the bandits who abducted the princess and tried to send her to Baihushan?”
Master He did not know the details about Pear Blossom saving Xia Xunyan, and hearing Murong Jin’s question, he was momentarily speechless. After a quick thought, he changed his attitude and said, “It turns out I was misled by slander. I heard someone was hiding a woman resembling the princess, but I didn’t know that it was your junior sister who saved her from the hands of criminals. In that case, let’s go quickly to avoid any misunderstanding.”
He switched tactics, now speaking with flattery. “If we really manage to bring the princess back, it will be a great achievement! We, including the commandant, will all rise in rank and fortune!”
Without waiting for the two to respond, she eagerly climbed into the carriage and urged the coachman to start immediately.
Pear Blossom and Murong Jin exchanged a glance and hurriedly spurred their horses to follow.
Two groups of horsemen entered the village in succession, stirring up dust as they passed by. The villagers quickly moved aside, anxious and uncertain about what was happening.
Only at the door of the Xiang family did the faces of Mrs. Zhou and Xiang Laosan show signs of smugness as they watched one fast horse after another race past their house.
Seeing someone from next door inquiring about the situation, Mrs. Zhou immediately adopted the demeanor of someone in the know and mysteriously said, “You don’t know yet, do you? That little bitch Pear Blossom is hiding the late emperor’s princess in her house! Now the emperor has sent people to take the princess back, and the Dagen family is done for!”
The crowd gasped in shock and began to discuss among themselves. Originally, Zhang Sanye had planned to hold a meeting to discuss the Xiang family’s matters today, but upon seeing the situation, he quickly decided to delay it.
Seeing Mrs. Zhou’s confident words, a group of people gathered around and asked, “Isn’t the current emperor the late emperor’s brother? The late emperor’s daughter is his niece. The princess is just a woman; she can’t seize the throne. Shouldn’t the two, as uncle and niece, get along? Why is he sending people to arrest her?”
“You don’t understand,” Mrs. Zhou glanced around and lowered her voice in a dramatic manner. “I heard that a few years ago, the late emperor went to the royal temple to inquire about the country’s fate, but the abbot passed away the night before, leaving behind a note. The note said, ‘When the moon is bright and the stars are few, the princess will inherit the throne, and peace will reign.'”
Noticing that the others didn’t understand, Xiang Laosan showed off and explained, “The late emperor’s princess’s name is Yuwen Yue, and the note means that the princess is as bright and dazzling as the moon, while everyone else is like stars, dim and lacking. The last two lines are self-explanatory—it clearly means the throne should go to the princess!”
The crowd gasped in surprise. Throughout history, emperors had always been male, and there was never a precedent for a woman ascending the throne. The late emperor had no male heirs, only a daughter, and his cousin, Yuwen Jing, had naturally become the first heir to the throne. If such a note was found by the heir to the throne, one could only imagine what he would do!
Thus, after the current emperor ascended to the throne, his niece, who was prophesied to inherit it, fled. It was clear he would relentlessly pursue her.
Someone in the crowd suddenly whispered, “I heard that after the emperor ascended to the throne, he wanted to take the late empress into his harem. The late empress refused and eventually died after crashing into a pillar…”
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