16: Gifts prepared for Aunt

Deep in the night, in the courtyard.

Mu Xiyan stood with her hands behind her back, the cold wind blowing through her disheveled dark hair. Her delicate body remained motionless, like a statue.

Maid Qingqing hid not far away, looking over with quite a bit of worry.

She did not know what was wrong with Your Majesty lately; she had to stand alone in the courtyard until late every night, and from time to time, sighs would drift over.

Even when she had just ascended the throne, with the world in turmoil and rebels rising everywhere, she had never seen Your Majesty look so troubled.

Holding a letter, she walked over cautiously.

"Your Majesty, a letter has arrived from the Imperial Husband in the Capital City. The letter says that the Sima Family has been restless lately. A hundred-man elite squad of the Heavenly Wolf Guard has mysteriously disappeared in the Imperial Palace, and chaos is erupting frequently. I fear that your body double will not be able to hold them back for much longer!"

"Therefore, the Imperial Husband wants you to return to the capital as soon as possible to take charge of the situation!"

After these words were spoken, there was a long silence in the courtyard.

No one knew how much time had passed, but Mu Xiyan finally turned around. Her golden eyes were dull and lifeless, and she looked as if her energy had been drained, as if she had aged ten years in an instant.

"Pass on the order. Prepare betrothal gifts, and choose a day to go to the Su Residence... to propose marriage!"

The Su Family Residence.

Even though it was late at night, the oil lamp in the head of the Family's room was still lit.

Su Xuemei sat upright at the table, holding a volume of military strategy and studying it carefully.

Although she looked rough and burly, and was merely a martial artist, she had a particular fondness for reading and had dabbled in military strategy, tactics, philosophy, and more.

She knew deeply that sometimes, the brain was more useful than the fist.

"Mother, are you asleep?"

A youth's gentle voice came from outside the door.

Su Xuemei was stunned at first, then overjoyed. She said, "Quan'er, come in quickly; Mother hasn't rested yet!"

The door was pushed open, and the youth walked in wearing a loose cyan robe.

His exquisite and stunning face made the room instantly brighten up.

"I wonder what brings you here so late, Su Quan?" Su Xuemei asked with a chuckle. Her eyes stared straight at him, scanning up and down, especially lingering on the obvious bulge below, which made her swallow a few times in greed.

Her own Quan'er was becoming more and more charming!

"Mother, I have something I want to tell you!"

Su Quan said hesitantly.

"If there is anything, Quan'er, just say it!"

"Mother, I have met a woman with whom I am determined to spend the rest of my life. She will come to propose marriage in a few days. This matter concerns my life and happiness, and I hope Mother can grant her blessing!" Su Quan said, gathering his courage.

"What?"

Su Xuemei's eyes widened, her thick brows stood up, and a thick Evil Qi flowed out. The manual in her hand was crushed to pieces: "You mean another woman wants to come and propose marriage?"

"Yes!"

Braving the overwhelming anger, Su Quan gritted his teeth and continued: "As the saying goes, a woman should marry and a man should wed. I am about to turn eighteen. At this age in other families, people probably have several litters of children!"

Hearing this, Su Xuemei gradually composed herself, though the Killing Intent in her eyes became even more intense.

She sat back down on the stool and said coldly: "I wonder, which Family's daughter is this that Quan'er speaks of?"

"She is a distant relative of the Shangguan prefect!" Su Quan replied without holding anything back.

"The Shangguan Family?" Su Xuemei's voice contained a hint of amusement: "Even the daughter of that old dog Shangguan is not worthy of my Quan'er, let alone a mere distant relative. Mother does not agree to this marriage!"

"Mother, I don't care about power or fame. I just want to marry the one I love. I have already pledged myself to her. I hope Mother can forgive my willfulness this one time!" Su Quan's voice carried a tone of pleading.

"Pledged yourself to her?"

Su Xuemei's expression changed drastically.

She took two or three steps to reach the youth, grabbed his right arm, and rolled up his sleeve. Seeing that the "essence-guarding sand" was still as vivid as before, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Su Quan's first time had been cultivated and nurtured for nearly eighteen years; only she could personally take it.

If his body had truly been ruined by some wild woman who popped out of nowhere, even tearing Su Quan and that woman into pieces would not soothe her hatred.

However, even so, it sounded an alarm for her.

Su Xuemei narrowed her eyes, her Killing Intent ferocious. She said indifferently: "Since Quan'er is insistent, Mother will give her a chance. Bring her to the house to sit for a while. I want to see exactly what kind of woman can bewitch Quan'er like this!"

She had already made her plans.

As long as that wild woman dared to come, she could forget about leaving.

She would kill every woman who dared to covet Su Quan; Quan'er could only be her slave!

"Great!"

Su Quan cheered, looking as if he were truly carefree and thoughtless.

After coming out of the house, he looked back one last time. The warmth and joy in his eyes dissipated, replaced by endless coldness and a sinister smile.

Three days later.

It was the day Mu Xiyan had set to come and propose marriage.

Early that morning, to ensure nothing would go wrong, Su Quan carried a bowl of freshly brewed soup into the Shangguan Residence.

The residence was decorated with lanterns and festoons, and the servants were busy running back and forth, creating a joyous scene.

"Sister Mu, this is the Three Fresh Soup I just brewed today. Hurry and taste it while it's hot!" Su Quan gently brought the bowl to the young woman, looking every bit like a virtuous husband and good father.

"The taste is so fresh. Xiao Quan, you can cook too!" Mu Xiyan stopped what she was doing, took a small sip, and said with some surprise.

"I didn't know how before, but I can learn. Mother always says that to capture a woman's heart, you must first capture her stomach!" Su Quan sat opposite her, resting his chin on his hands, with a faint smile on his face, watching her without blinking.

In a trance, Mu Xiyan had an illusion.

The youth was her gentle and virtuous husband. If they could live a simple life like this forever, that would seem nice, wouldn't it?

But soon, this thought was snuffed out.

She shouldered too many things; how could she...

A trace of sorrow appeared on Mu Xiyan's pretty face, and the speed at which she drank the soup slowed down. Thinking of the scheme about to unfold, she felt the porcelain bowl in her hand weighed more than a thousand catties.

What was inside was not just a bowl of soup, but the youth's deep love for her!

Just then, Maid Qingqing pushed the door open and walked in.

She first nodded politely to Su Quan, then said: "Young Miss, the betrothal gifts are ready. We can choose an auspicious time to depart!"

"Also, this item you requested!"

Qingqing handed a porcelain bottle to Mu Xiyan.

The young woman's pretty face clearly twitched unnaturally for a moment. She remained silent for a moment, then stood up, saying in a heavy voice: "Xiao Quan, this is a small gift I prepared for Aunt!"

"What is this?"

Su Quan examined it with curiosity. He shook it gently and could hear the sound of liquid sloshing.

"This is a tribute wine brought from the Western Regions!"

"Wine? Is there only this much?"

"This wine is not meant to be drunk directly. It should be added to ordinary wine. Just one drop can make ordinary wine incredibly delicious, and it has the effects of nourishing yin and tonifying yang, prolonging life, and is also very beneficial for martial arts!" Mu Xiyan explained slowly.

"So magical! That's great. I'll go tell Mother right now. She loves drinking the most and will definitely like this gift!" Su Quan beamed with joy.

Hearing this, Mu Xiyan became a bit anxious and said: "Don't. It would be better not to tell your mother about this gift yet. You can secretly add it to some ordinary wine, let her taste it, and then it won't be too late to tell her later!"

"But why?"

Su Quan stared straight at her, full of confusion.

"Because..."

Under the youth's gaze, sweat couldn't help but bead on Mu Xiyan's forehead, and she stammered, unable to speak.

Just then, Su Quan provided a god-tier assist: "I know, you want to give my mother a surprise!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I wanted to give Aunt a surprise!" Mu Xiyan breathed a long sigh of relief and hurriedly went along with it.

"I will definitely handle this well. When Mother is happy, she might just agree to our marriage directly!" Su Quan gripped the porcelain bottle tightly, as if he were holding a rare treasure.

Waiting until the youth had left.

Only Mu Xiyan and Qingqing remained in the room.

The young woman stood by the window, looking blankly at the sky, her expression dazed. She murmured: "Qingqing!"

"Your Majesty, this servant is here!"

"Tell me, I have been using Xiao Quan's innocence. Is this... really right?"

Hearing this, Qingqing was a bit confused.

But she still said: "Your Majesty, since ancient times, those who achieve great things do not fuss over small details. Su Quan... is, after all, the son of a disgraced official. You don't need to have such a heavy burden. As long as Qingzhou is pacified, I believe the Great Xia will restore the prosperous era of the late Emperor!"

"By then, it will be a great thing for both Great Xia and the common people!"

"I understand!"

Mu Xiyan sighed softly. Her mood not only did not improve but became increasingly restless.

A thought suddenly popped up.

But... is it really fair to the youth to sacrifice Su Quan for the sake of the common people?