After Xiao Muyun left, Mu Lin called the maid in to light the lamp and ordered, "Go and invite His Majesty in."
Emperor Xuan had been waiting outside. He strode in and sat on a chair beside him. When his eyes fell on Mu Lin's overly beautiful lips, his eyes darkened.
He asked sincerely, "Sister, are you feeling better?"
"Much better. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your protection these days." Mu Lin's smile was gentle and faint, revealing his frailty.
It turns out that when the imperial sister was unconscious, she was not completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world.
Emperor Xuan waved his hands and said, "Sister, why should you be so distant with me? When I was a child and was sick, it was you who accompanied me day and night and took care of me without taking off your clothes. Now it is my turn to take care of you, and that is my duty."
Mu Lin recalled the past, his eyes were soft and full of emotion.
"My father and mother died young, and I promised them to take good care of you, so I will do so. After two years, when Xi'er marries the queen, you will have someone who knows you well to take care of your daily life, and I will feel relieved."
"The eldest sister is like a mother. When the time comes, I will ask my sister to help me choose a good girl who is unparalleled in the world."
Mu Lin didn't seem to hear the temptation in his words, and smiled: "It's time to think about it. As the saying goes: Zhimu Shaoai, does Your Majesty have someone you like?"
"No. But I, I must marry the most perfect woman in the world!"
Sure enough, this was the thinking of a young man. Mu Lin smiled and shook his head: "Where is there a perfect person?"
"Yes, she must be extremely beautiful, noble and elegant, calm in the face of praise or criticism, and have a kind and clear mind. She must also be a little younger than me..." As he spoke, Emperor Xuan felt a little embarrassed.
Mu Lin looked at him thoughtfully and said, "That's how Tianlan praised Queen Wenzhe."
Emperor Xuan: “…” He didn’t want to marry a scheming empress!
Receiving Emperor Xuan's accusing gaze, Mu Lin couldn't help but laugh and suggested, "Then why not hold a selection at that time? These qualities are hard to find in one woman, so you can take in more concubines."
Emperor Xuan did not comment on this matter. Instead, he hesitated and said, "Sister, I have a question for you."
"Your Majesty, please say so." Mu Lin stood up and poured himself a cup of tea, and also poured a cup for Emperor Xuan.
"I know that my sister is deeply influenced by the deep love between our father and mother. She wants to marry someone and stay together forever. But I am different from you. Not only can I not drink from the vast sea, but I also want to marry into the royal family and have children. Will my sister think that I am... not good?"
As an emperor, it was natural for him to have many concubines, but as an outlier in the family, it was a bit uncomfortable. Emperor Xuan was not completely indifferent to the opinions of his relatives.
Mu Lin shook his head without hesitation, "No."
She thought her brother's idea was a little cute, and smiled, "Since ancient times, people have had different requirements for relationships. Some people like to be faithful to one man, while others like to have three wives and four concubines and enjoy the happiness of having all the wives. As long as it does not violate the law and ethics, it doesn't matter which one you choose."
"If my father and mother were still alive, they would definitely support your idea, as long as it is what you want."
"Royal sister, not only men, even women are OK... Do you want to have the happiness of having two wives?" Emperor Xuan glanced at her, his eyes full of hints.
"… "
Mu Lin was silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "No need."
"The princess's mansion in the capital will be completed soon. You can pick a suitable nobleman to be your consort. As for the others... whatever kind of man you want, I can give it to you."
Arrange a marriage for the imperial sister, or send her to "cultivate" for a period of time, so that she can stay in Jingsheng and live the rest of her life in ease. Emperor Xuan was very sincere. This was the best solution he could think of, and it was also his biggest concession to the imperial sister's marriage.
Mu Lin understood what he meant. As long as she promised not to leave Kyoto, he could satisfy all her needs in love, even choosing a lover for her.
However, these were not what she wanted.
"Xi'er, I'm very touched by what you said..."
Emperor Xuan interrupted her in frustration, "But my sister still disagrees." He took a deep breath and finally couldn't help asking, "Does my sister like the Prince of Hengyang so much? Would she rather marry him thousands of miles away in a foreign country and become a regent princess who is under great pressure?"
He patiently analyzed for her: "The Xiao family is in a mess, and marrying there will only make the situation more complicated. The relationship between the two countries is very delicate. You are in Tianlan, and Jingsheng is out of reach. Once our movements are obvious, it will be easy to be misunderstood as interfering in Tianlan's internal affairs. Sister, if a princess from a foreign country marries there, she will be like a rootless duckweed!"
Mu Lin said calmly: "My royal sister will not fall into this situation."
If worst comes to worst, there is still Xiao Muyun. As the regent with a sensitive identity, he must be quite capable if he dares to marry her.
There are always more solutions than problems.
She was willing to upgrade with him.
Emperor Xuan took another deep breath and said slowly, "Do you think the young empress is willing to let you marry her? In a few years, when the empress gets married and takes power, your situation will be even more dangerous."
"No matter what happens, I will be fine." Even if the political struggle failed, the empress would not dare to do anything to her. As long as Jingsheng was there, she would be safe.
Mu Lin suddenly thought of something and promised resolutely: "Your Majesty, please believe me, I will never be a handle for Tian Lan to control Jing Sheng at any time."
If Tianlan used her to threaten Jingsheng, she would consider committing suicide.
Emperor Xuan paused as he picked up the teacup. The next second, the cup was thrown to the ground, splashing tea everywhere!
Emperor Xuan was so furious that his hands were shaking as he pointed at her.
"I think you are crazy! You are obsessed with a man!" After saying that, she kicked over the chair and left.
Looking at the broken porcelain pieces all over the floor, Mu Lin sighed, sat there helplessly, and called the maid to come in and clean up.
She was slightly shaken. If there was no mission requirement, would she persist for love
Jing Sheng and Xiao Muyun were like the two ends of a balance beam. She only had one chip, and no matter which side she added it to, it would definitely disrupt the balance.
There are so many worries for ordinary people...
Being a human is not any easier than being an immortal. In comparison, she prefers to worry about the difficulties and bottlenecks encountered in cultivation.
She had already made up her mind that if there was no war when she returned, she would go into seclusion for a hundred or eighty years to completely calm down the restlessness of this world so as not to affect her spiritual heart.
Mu Lin had slept too much before and didn't feel sleepy at all. He lay in bed for two or three hours just to recuperate.
The day after tomorrow is the day for peace talks, so she'd better visit Emperor Wu of Qin tomorrow.
When she thought about meeting her senior brother, she instinctively wanted to escape. They hadn't been together for many years, but when she thought about her senior brother, she was still a little scared, which showed how much influence he had on her.
Mu Lin prefers Xiao Muyun, who has a strong aura but is not strong overall. He gives people a warm feeling like a spring breeze. After falling in love with him, every time they meet, it seems that the world has become sweet, full of joy and security. How she hopes that she can live with him, treat him as an equal, and spend her mundane life with him.
As for Senior Brother Qin, forget it...
How many women can live with him every day with such a terrifying desire for control? Being his junior apprentice is hard enough, and being his wife will definitely shorten your life...
Mu Lin got up at dawn. After washing and dressing, she had breakfast and medicine, and felt much more energetic than yesterday. After asking the maid, she found out that Xiao Muyun had left the villa early in the morning.
Most likely he was driven away by Emperor Xuan...
Mu Lin was speechless. He wrote a visiting card by hand and sent someone to deliver it to Emperor Wu of Qin.
If nothing goes wrong, she will be able to visit by the afternoon.
Although I don't want to see him at all, alas.
The servant came back quickly to report, but told Mu Lin that Emperor Qin Wu said he was not free in the afternoon, and if she wanted to see him, she should go now.
The attitude is very arbitrary.
Mu Lin secretly complained in her heart that if Emperor Wu was not her senior brother, she would not go at all. Did he really think that she was his subject and subordinate, and would come whenever he called
Thinking about the care her senior brother had given her in the academy, Mu Lin changed into a more solemn and elegant dark purple dress, found two cans of Yunding tea specially supplied by Jingsheng Yunjiang, and went to the villa where Emperor Qin Wu was with two maids (secret guards).
When he went out, he glanced at the main courtyard. Even the air on Emperor Xuan's side was silent, and the guards standing around were as quiet as chickens.
Forget it, let’s continue the cold war for now.
This isn't the first time the two have had a cold war because of Xiao Muyun's matter.
Desong walked in, bowed slightly and said to Emperor Xuan: "Your Majesty, the princess has gone to visit Emperor Qin Wu."
Emperor Xuan was practicing calligraphy. Hearing this, he kept writing. He dipped his wolf hair brush into ink and wrote a row of cursive characters on the paper. Suddenly, he paused and the ink dripped onto the last character. It turned out that he had written it crookedly.
After a long time, Desong heard Emperor Xuan's words, and he said, "Let her go."
Let her see more other outstanding men, so as not to hang herself on a tree. Even if he couldn't deny that the King of Hengyang was a jade tree.
Even with a preconceived bad impression, Emperor Xuan found that the other party was really impeccable after some observation. The 22-year-old Xiao Muyun was already the regent of the empire at a young age. He was scheming and had all the means and strategies. He was not comparable to the children of the same age from the Jingsheng family.
This made him a little irritated.
Compared to Tianlan, even Daqin, even... Emperor Wu of Qin.
Emperor Xuan's eyes flashed, and he put this ridiculous idea behind him.
Before his father passed away, he said something to him alone. He said that his sister had sacrificed too much to preserve the imperial power of their lineage, and that except for the transition period, the imperial power could only have one owner. He hoped that after he took power, he would treat her well and protect her for the rest of her life.
His father even left him a secret decree...
Hope it'll never be used.
Mu Lin rode in a carriage through two streets and soon arrived at the residence of Emperor Qin, a large mansion with three entrances. For an emperor who was used to living in a palace, it was obviously very simple. However, since everyone was traveling secretly without prior agreement, it was similar to a private visit in disguise, so there was no such thing as a formality.
I don’t know where Xiao Muyun lives…
There was no need for the maid to come forward to report. The guard waiting at the door stepped forward and invited Mu Lin and the others in.