My Lady Always Lacks Ambition
Chapter 292 - 291 Little Overlord: I Suspect You Are Setting Me Up

Chapter 292: Chapter 291 Little Overlord: I Suspect You Are Setting Me Up

Ningzhou Prefecture City, even before the existence of Da Feng, had once served as the capital of a nation, boasting a glorious history. As it was now the central city of Da Feng, merchants from the east, south, west, and north converged here before spreading out in all directions. For this reason, the place was extremely bustling.

When Qin Liuxi and his party arrived, the Xiao Family had already sent people to wait for them, a trusted steward from Governor Xiao’s close circle. From a distance, he saw the Xiao Family’s carriage and immediately rode his horse forward, dismounting in front of Xiao Zhanrui’s carriage.

"This old servant pays his respects to the Eldest Young Master."

Xiao Zhanrui lifted the carriage curtain and said, "Ah, it’s Uncle Jiang. No need for formalities. Is everything prepared at the mansion?"

"Everything has been properly prepared, and the old master is also waiting at the mansion," replied Housekeeper Jiang as he looked towards the rear of the caravan and stepped forward. "Eldest Young Master, and that person?"

"He’s in the back."

"Shall this old servant go and offer my respects first?"

Xiao Zhanrui nodded. Although Mu Xi did not want to make a spectacle, the mansion was aware of his arrival. It was definitely appropriate to come forward and pay respects to avoid later retribution from some playboy.

Housekeeper Jiang went forward to offer his respects, although he did not even see the person in question. He had no expectation that someone as noble as Heir Mu would condescend to meet a servant like him. He simply reported his name and purpose in front of the carriage, made a bow, and walked away with his body bent.

In reality, Mu Xi was not in the carriage at all; instead, he was indolently lounging in Qin Liuxi’s carriage.

The carriages began to enter the city.

Mu Xi did not even look outside, indifferent to the opulence of Ningzhou Prefecture. Could it possibly rival the splendor of Shengjing?

What he was more concerned about was the souls of the soldiers they had honored on the road with Qin Liuxi, and he couldn’t help but question.

"Does the Princely Heir ask of their origins for reasons such as returning their bones to their homeland? Those soldiers die unceremoniously in the wild mountains, what can you deduce from that? If they are rebels, would you dare to inscribe their names on tombstones?" Qin Liuxi said indifferently.

Mu Xi, still with a youthful face, frowned upon hearing this and only after a while retorted, "If they are rebels, would you have collected their corpses?"

Qin Liuxi looked down, not completely naive.

"Then if they were wrongly accused, what could you do? Vindicate them?" Qin Liuxi smiled. "What if I tell you their origins, could you possibly seek justice for them? Not by using your power to have your Emperor brother-in-law pardon them, but by genuinely investigating the truth, clearing their names, making them known to the world - that is what real vindication means."

Mu Xi pursed his lips.

"You know about the trouble that the former Minister of the Ministry of Rites ran into during the Great Sacrificial Rite in July, which led to the seizure of his household, right?"

"Minister of the Ministry of Rites? Qin Yuanshan, the old man with the goat beard?" Mu Xi thought for a moment, conjuring up the image of a small old man with a goat beard in his mind.

Qin Liuxi: "..."

Mu Xi said, "Of course, I’m aware of such a major event. I was at the scene. During the sacrificial rite, there was a serious issue with the offerings. That old man really courted death. My brother-in-law did not execute him on the spot to appease the ancestors, he was indeed fortunate."

Qin Liuxi thought: He’s young and doesn’t understand, I will endure it!

"But why do you ask? The entire Qin family was seized and exiled, oh, that’s not right, the women and children seem to have been sent back to their hometown. Qin Yuanshan should be grateful that Noble Princess Consort Meng was so lucky to have given birth to a little prince, and my brother-in-law, to accumulate blessings for the little prince, didn’t have his head chopped off. Otherwise, the entire family would have been beheaded and offered as a sacrifice."

"I’m asking because such a serious mistake during the Great Sacrificial Rite - does it not seem foolish of Qin Yuanshan? He had been in the Guanglu Temple for more than a day or two, yet he made such a mistake at such an event. Don’t you think there’s something fishy there?"

"You don’t realize how deep the waters of the officialdom are, being in the Mystic Sect. You mean to say that Qin Yuanshan was framed, wrongly accused?" Mu Xi said, "In this world, the mountain ranges alone bear the Qi name, with one man seated upon the Imperial Throne, beneath which countless party factions vie for power. Do you think my brother-in-law, the Emperor, doesn’t know? He knows, but party strife is normal, and it is impossible for a single power minister to dominate forever. As for Qin Yuanshan’s case, even if you argue he was framed and slandered, the fact that he got caught in the trap is his fault, a result of his own abilities."

"The Emperor will not consider whether Qin Yuanshan was wronged. To govern according to one’s position, yet not detecting such a fundamental error, that is his fault, for he is foolish. And the Emperor will only look at the results, will only consider the person in that position, not waiting to clarify things before acting—such is the nature of imperial power. All one can say is, Qin Yuanshan was just unlucky. That’s how the officialdom is: everywhere you are undermined, a confluence of tricky currents. Whoever has the higher rank laughs last."

As Mu Xi spoke, he noticed Qin Liuxi watching him intently and couldn’t help feeling wary: "What’s that look for?"

Qin Liuxi smiled. "I thought the notorious playboy Little Overlord was all about bullying, carousing, and merrymaking; I didn’t expect that you also had a brain!"

"You little god stick, you’re insulting me again? I’ve endured it for quite some time already!" Mu Xi almost jumped up.

Qin Liuxi extended a finger and pressed down on his head, saying, "Stop it. This time I’m actually praising you."

See? You admitted it; you’ve been insulting me all along!

Mu Xi snorted, "After all, I grew up at the center of imperial power, how could I not be aware of these things? I just don’t like to use my brain, that’s all."

He pretended not to care, but the corner of his mouth that rose betrayed his pleasure at being praised.

Oh, a bit tsundere there!

It was then that Qin Liuxi said, "Since you can see Qin Yuanshan’s situation so clearly, how come you can’t understand that the soldiers buried there might also, as you described, be just unlucky victims of the machinations of officialdom? And your brother-in-law, the Emperor, who only looks at outcomes—does he really care if it was a result of factional strife?"

Mu Xi was stunned for a moment.

After a while, he said, "The soldiers protecting our home and country should not end up like this. If there truly has been an injustice..."

"If there truly has been an injustice, could you overturn the case, overturn the original verdict? Like with Qin Yuanshan, if the Qin family has been wronged, could you expose the true perpetrator behind the scenes and vindicate them, restoring them to their rightful positions?" Qin Liuxi said indifferently.

Mu Xi suddenly felt something was off and said, "I remember, your last name is Qin, isn’t it?"

"Hmm?"

"You talk about this case—what is Qin Yuanshan, the old man, to you, or rather, what is your relationship with the Qin family?" Mu Xi glared at her. Right, where did the old Qin family come from?

Quite perceptive.

Qin Liuxi smiled, "If I told you, would you do it?"

Mu Xi became more cautious, "Even if they were vindicated, at most we could retrieve them from the place of exile. With such a big incident during the Great Sacrificial Rite, as the chief official, he can’t escape responsibility; reinstatement to his former position is absolutely impossible!"

What he didn’t dare say was that he suspected she was setting him up—without evidence, of course!

Because with Qin Yuanshan’s record now, who would dare to let him stay in that position? If it happened again, the Emperor would fear the ancestors might rise to scold him for his incompetence in selecting officials.

"You are indeed quite clever." This time, Qin Liuxi earnestly complimented him.

Mu Xi wanted to say more, but the carriage came to a stop, and Xiao Zhanrui’s voice came from outside.

"Master, we’ve arrived at your doorstep. Please, Master, proceed inside."