Chapter 201: Run, Senior Sister?

"I went to find him!" Qilin sat down and poured himself a cup of water, then eagerly continued: "It's a long story, but I'll make it short! I went to find Yuan Yan; he's staying at a mountain villa, and just yesterday someone came to visit him—a prince who had just returned as a hostage."

"A hostage prince?" Mu Yuanzhi racked her brain but had no impression of this person.

She hadn't even heard of him.

"You don't know, Senior Sister?" Qilin blinked, "I thought you knew."

Mu Yuanzhi shook her head. "I've never heard of it, and besides, during the late emperor's reign the nation was prosperous—why would they need to send a hostage?"

Qilin was even more confused; he grabbed a melon seed, stuffed it in his mouth, and mumbled, "Maybe they just wanted to get rid of an unwanted son."

"Then what? What did you talk about? Why do you look so happy?" Mu Yuanzhi asked curiously.

"Isn't the legitimate heir of the Pei clan's realm exactly what you wanted?" Qilin lowered his voice, then winked at Mu Yuanzhi.

This kid is still hung up on that matter...

Mu Yuanzhi: "You've only just met this prince—how can you decide he's more fit to inherit the throne than the emperor or crown prince?"

"That's the point!" Qilin looked around, waved his hand, and said, "You all go ahead first."

Hongdou and the others had already retreated far away, but Qilin still wasn't at ease and gestured for them to leave.

After all, what they were discussing could get them killed—there's no need to drag others into it.

Mu Yuanzhi waited, eager to hear the details.

"Just a few hours talking with him, and I realized he's a talent!" Qilin praised him every time he brought him up: "He's skilled at music, chess, calligraphy, painting, wielding swords and spears, and commanding troops—everything!"

"Do you know military affairs?"

"No."

"Then how do you know he's proficient?"

"Yuan Yan said so!" Qilin replied.

"You don't believe him, do you?" Mu Yuanzhi asked with a smile.

"Times have changed—last night he worked out a detailed troop deployment for fighting the allied forces, and Yuan Yan has already sent this secret letter to Gu Rongjin; when Qi Shihuai sees it, he'll know whether it's feasible."

Mu Yuanzhi: "Even if it's feasible, the emperor won't adopt it."

"We don't need him to adopt it—we'll wield this staff ourselves!"

"What did the prince say?"

"Yeah! He's confident, saying that with just half of Qi Shihuai's troops they could crush the allied forces!" Qilin's eyes sparkled, as if he already saw victory.

Mu Yuanzhi incredulous: "What? Half the troops? Do you have any idea how many soldiers the allied forces have? Hundreds of thousands!"

Such a dream—she wouldn't even dare imagine it, let alone her father.

How many troops could Qi Shihuai command? At most a few ten thousand.

"Senior Sister, don't worry about this—let them handle the big matters; we just need to think about our own small affairs, like testing this prince's ability. I don't know military affairs or governance, but we can at least judge his character."

"Do we even need to test him? Your scales are already tipped toward him." Mu Yuanzhi shook her head impatiently.

"Senior Sister, you just haven't seen him—if you did, you'd be won over!" Qilin said, pulling out a painting: "This is the result of yesterday's test of his painting skill—his own self-portrait. Take a look."

Mu Yuanzhi unfurled the scroll, revealing a young man of extraordinary bearing—his features gentle yet not weak, his demeanor majestic, his whole person exuding nobility.

This is just the painting; the real person must be even more stunning.

"The brushwork is indeed good." Even a layperson like her could tell.

"Right? And look at his appearance—he's a dragon among men!" Qilin grew more pleased the more he looked: "His speech is extraordinary, his learning profound—I dare say, compared to him the crown prince is just two words: mediocre."

Mu Yuanzhi stroked her chin, staring at the painting: "You praise him as having no equal under heaven—I'm actually getting interested."

"Mainly, everyone shares the Pei surname, but this prince really feels different from those lot—perhaps because he grew up outside the palace gates, never tainted by their stench? Or like a lotus rising from the mud unstained, just like you, Senior Sister."

After admiring the portrait, Qilin continued: "Besides, talking with him is very comfortable—what's that phrase? 'Like drinking fine wine, unaware of one's own intoxication.'"

Mu Yuanzhi lifted the portrait to examine it in the sunlight, saying: "If he truly is a rare talent, then it would be the empire's fortune."

"Senior Sister, if you want to meet him, go find Yuan Yan—this prince has no residence in Jingcheng; he's a forgotten hostage."

"Master!" Hongdou came in to report: "The emperor has sent someone, saying please come to the palace."

Mu Yuanzhi and Qilin exchanged a glance, then said to Hongdou: "What did you say?"

"I said the master hasn't woken up yet, and then the eunuch who came to deliver the edict is waiting in the reception hall." Hongdou said.

"Well done."

"Senior Sister, why is the emperor suddenly summoning you to the palace? You just came out of it!" Qilin suspected a trick.

Mu Yuanzhi felt the same: "Perhaps this is a Hongmen banquet."

Actually, her return to the capital this time is quite dangerous.

"What should we do? Run?" Qilin asked.

Mu Yuanzhi looked at Qilin, saying nothing.

"Run, Senior Sister! If not now, when?"

"Don't panic, there's no rush." Mu Yuanzhi said.

She still doesn't know what Gu Rongjin will do, so she's not in a hurry.

"What if the emperor detains you to use as leverage against Gu Rongjin?!"

Mu Yuanzhi thought it over and still felt it wasn't right.

Qilin couldn't wait—he had originally wanted to drag Mu Yuanzhi into fleeing, and now it's literally at the point of no return; if they don't run now, when will they?

"Let's go, Senior Sister!" Qilin rose to pull Mu Yuanzhi up, "Let's take Hongdou and the others with us now and flee to find our brother-in-law!"

"His Majesty approaches!"

A sharp voice rang out, and both Qilin's and Mu Yuanzhi's faces changed.

The emperor himself has arrived!

Now there's no way to run.

"Zhi'er!"

"The Emperor's solemn voice sounded from behind; he entered and saw Qilin holding Mu Yuanzhi's hand, puzzled, he asked: 'Where are you senior sister and junior brother going?'"

"Your Majesty, I and my senior sister are just about to spar; she does this every morning for her practice, so I had your people wait outside." Qilin quickly came up with an excuse.

Mu Yuanzhi could only go along with the lie: "Father Emperor, please forgive."

"No problem; it was I who suddenly summoned someone to call you, thus disrupting your routine."

Mu Yuanzhi's heart rose to her throat—she had no morning practice habit at all, and the Emperor naturally knew that.

"Father Emperor, what business do you have calling for me, your subject, so early?"