Chapter 175
When the two were not standing together, the impact was not particularly strong. But once they appeared at the same table, Lu Hanzhi began to marvel at the Creator’s unfairness. He looked at one, then the other, and said, “So handsome. Truly handsome. How did you grow up looking like this? Both of you—how did you manage it?”
Mu Qingtong, who was seated to the side, felt somewhat embarrassed by his gaze and said, “Prince An’s Wang Fei is also good-looking. Why do you keep praising others?”
Lu Hanzhi replied, “I can’t see myself anyway. It’s more convenient to admire others.”
This time, even Zong Yuan could no longer remain calm. He leaned forward and carefully examined Mu Qingtong, saying, “Indeed… very good-looking.”
Lu Hanzhi asked, “Are you praising yourself?”
Zong Yuan waved his hand and said, “Of course not! When I was at home, my parents never said I was good-looking. They only said I was mischievous.”
Lu Hanzhi laughed. “Your mischief overshadowed your looks. Such a waste of a handsome face.”
Zong Yuan snapped angrily, “What the hell does that have to do with you?!”
Lu Hanzhi said, “See? With such a good-looking face, you still speak so crudely. Who would ever praise you?”
Zong Yuan shut his mouth and finally asked, “You are… Yin Pingwu, Mr. Yin?”
Mu Qingtong gave a slight nod and replied, “Yin Pingwu is already dead. The only one alive is Mu Qingtong of Jiangnan.”
The surname Mu was Yin Pingwu’s maternal family name. He had hidden the Yin surname, taken the Mu surname instead, and given himself the courtesy name Qingtong.
Zong Yuan touched his own face and asked curiously, “How did we end up looking exactly the same?”
Mu Qingtong also found it strange and said, “Perhaps… there truly are people in this world who look exactly alike?”
Lu Hanzhi asked, “Could it be that you two share some blood relation?”
Mu Qingtong shook his head and said, “There’s no one left in my mother’s family. There couldn’t possibly be any blood ties.”
There had long been rumors that Yin Pingwu’s maternal family had been silenced by the emperor over certain matters—likely wiped out completely. Lu Hanzhi nodded and said, “Then it was probably just coincidence. Still, you really do look like a father and son.”
Mu Qingtong did not continue on that topic. He spoke instead, “Zhong’er asked me to come see you. Is there something you needed? I’ll say this first—this time, returning to the capital, I will not interfere in court affairs again. I originally came only to help Zhong’er find his child. Since he has already found his child, it’s time for me to leave.”
Lu Hanzhi said, “Sir, don’t be in such a hurry. Today, we can drink a little wine, listen to some music, and chat idly. I’m truly curious about your legendary life—would you be willing to tell me about it?”
Mu Qingtong smiled faintly and said, “What legend? It was nothing more than loving the wrong person, trusting the wrong person, and then—by chance—meeting an old friend, allowing me to live out the rest of my days.”
Lu Hanzhi asked, “The one who saved you—was that old friend?”
Mu Qingtong nodded and said, “He was a childhood friend of mine. When I was buried, he stole my body away. He was skilled in medicine—he helped me give birth to Zhong’er and brought me back from death.”
At that moment, Mu Qingtong gave off the impression of someone who had experienced extreme rises and falls and had since seen through everything—a detached, transcendent air.
Lu Hanzhi nodded and asked, “Do you plan to just let everything go like this?”
Mu Qingtong asked, “What else could I do? Even if I killed him, what I lost would still be lost.”
Lu Hanzhi understood Mu Qingtong’s way of thinking very well. He had finally gained the chance to live the life he wanted—why would he willingly be dragged back into the turbulent currents of the capital?
Lu Hanzhi asked again, “May I ask who your childhood friend was?”
Mu Qingtong thought for a moment and answered, “He was a practitioner of the arcane arts—he had some skill. But I don’t know whether he would be willing to expose himself to the world.”
Lu Hanzhi did not press the matter. He simply nodded slightly and said, “Sir… are you truly unwilling to help?”
Mu Qingtong said, “I am already a dead man. A dead man should have the awareness of a dead man. If I were to appear before him, how would he carry himself? How would he face the things he did? Though my heart toward him has long since turned to ashes, I still don’t wish to tear apart the peaceful illusion he’s painted and see the ugliness beneath it.”
Lu Hanzhi understood completely. He nodded and said, “I respect your wishes, sir.”
When one person had devoted himself wholeheartedly to another, only to discover that the other never possessed even the slightest sincerity—and had even cruelly sent him to his death—
And then, after his death, had exploited him to the fullest, without the slightest trace of remorse—
Even Lu Hanzhi did not wish to look at the ugliness beneath it all.
He sighed softly and said, “Since you have truly let go of the past, sir… then I won’t say anything more.”
If one person still harbored resentment or hatred toward another, there was always the possibility that they would go see that person.
Even if it was just to ask why—to demand an explanation.
But if one person felt neither resentment nor hatred toward another—if mentioning them was no different from mentioning an ordinary stranger—then they truly would never go to see them again.
On the way back, Lu Hanzhi remained silent the entire time. Zong Yuan could tell that he was not in a good mood.
Zong Yuan asked, “Hey—was that man just now… Mister Mu Qingtong, the key person you mentioned?”
Lu Hanzhi nodded slightly. Zong Yuan then asked, “Then if he refuses to help, doesn’t that mean your plan can’t move forward?”
The look Lu Hanzhi gave Zong Yuan became subtly strange. He cleared his throat and said, “First, my name isn’t ‘hey.’ Second, my name is Chu Yuxun!”
Zong Yuan: …
He looked at Lu Hanzhi in shock and said, “You… aren’t you Lu Hanzhi? Why have you changed your surname to Chu?”
Lu Hanzhi snickered and said, “Since when have I ever admitted defeat? How could I possibly fail to carry this through? Don’t worry—there may be problems, but they won’t affect the outcome.”
Zong Yuan asked, “Then… tomorrow, I go ahead according to the original plan?”
Lu Hanzhi patted him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. You just focus on your own part. I’ll handle everything that comes after.”
For some reason, working with Lu Hanzhi gave Zong Yuan an inexplicable sense of security.
He took a bundle from Lu Hanzhi’s hands and asked, “This… is it the same old clothing that Master Yin wore back then?”
Lu Hanzhi waved his hand and said, “It’s only a replica, personally copied by Mister Mu. I just adjusted the color slightly so it wouldn’t look too deliberate on you. The emperor is getting increasingly muddled—I want to see what his reaction will be when he sees you wearing this outfit.”
Zong Yuan looked a little nervous and asked, “What if… he doesn’t react?”
Lu Hanzhi raised an eyebrow and said, “How could that be? You’re now the little enchantress who brings chaos to the state. If he doesn’t react, call your Sister Wan’er for help. With her there, he will absolutely react.”
Zong Yuan: ??? What was this description?
Right now, Lu Hanzhi had no defenses left near the emperor.
He had even removed the defensive layer he had previously applied, leaving the emperor completely exposed in front of Su Wan’ning.
This was Su Wan’ning’s last chance, and Lu Hanzhi didn’t believe she could resist it.
Mentioning Su Wan’ning made Zong Yuan feel a wave of disgust.
But looking at Lu Hanzhi, he felt grateful that he wasn’t on bad terms with him.
This person… was indescribable. He was frightening, yet incredibly easy to get along with.
Some might call him pure—but then the world would have no impure people.
Yet for some reason, Zong Yuan felt no trace of disgust toward him.
No matter what, a bond had now formed between Lu Hanzhi and him.
After returning, Lu Hanzhi held a small meeting in the study with Yuwen Min and the others.
Lu Hanzhi said, “Although Mister Mu refuses to help, Zong Yuan’s part is at least secure. We’ll continue with the original plan: let Zong Yuan deal with Su Wan’ning, and let Su Wan’ning confront the emperor.”
Yuwen Jue asked, “Is there truly no way to persuade Mister Mu at all?”
Lu Hanzhi shook his head. “Mister Mu said his heart for that person has died completely and he doesn’t wish to see the rotten underbelly beneath that falsely peaceful exterior.”
Everyone nodded, but only Yuwen Min said, “Could you arrange a meeting with Mister Mu for me? I want to see him.”
Lu Hanzhi looked at Yuwen Min. Though he didn’t know why he wanted to meet Mu Qingtong, he still nodded.
These past few days, Lu Hanzhi had not taken on the second-stage Intermediate mission. He worried he wouldn’t have the energy to follow the plot while completing the mission.
Luckily, he reasoned that he wasn’t the only one handling missions anyway—there were plenty of people available.
With enough time, he took on a new mission.
As the system alert sounded, Lu Hanzhi let out a slight sigh.
Missions involving the livelihood of the people were mostly about food, clothing, housing, and transportation.
This time, the system required him to build a bridge spanning the Changjing River.
The Changjing River was a natural waterway in the northern part of the capital.
The north of the capital was desolate largely because rivers like this cut across the region.
Because transportation was inconvenient, few people lived there, which contributed to its desolation.
If a bridge were built to connect the area, it would undoubtedly make things much more convenient.
However, this river was called a natural barrier because it was treacherous.
In earlier times, many had tried to build a bridge here, but almost every time, the bridge was destroyed during flood season.
One reason was rampant flooding; another was that in a semi-slave, semi-feudal society, most bridges were made of wood.
Wooden bridges weren’t sturdy enough on their own, and floods almost always swept them away.
Lu Hanzhi thought long and hard and decided that building a bridge was probably feasible.
He even began to admire himself—everything previously deemed impossible became possible in his hands. Was he destined to become a figure of legendary influence?
Thinking about it made him feel somewhat embarrassed.
The next day, in the imperial palace.
Zong Yuan had finished breakfast and waited for the emperor to finish court business.
He wore a plain sky-blue robe, with a cluster of blue bamboo embroidered on the hem.
His hair was half-tied, with a few gently curled strands falling across his chest.
He was at the table, burning incense, and upon closer inspection, he truly looked like a celestial child under an immortal’s watch—so beautiful it was impossible to look away.
AuntLiu stood quietly before the table, awaiting his instructions.
Once Zong Yuan was ready, he said to her, “Have someone invite the emperor here.”
Soon, the emperor, who had just finished court, stepped over the threshold of Xiaoyu Residence.
He looked up to speak but saw before him a young boy amid curling incense smoke, purifying his hands and arranging incense on the table.
When the crown prince was young, he often suffered severe headaches due to pressure from court affairs.
Back then, it had been Yin Pingwu, day after day, burning incense to relieve his condition, persisting for three whole years until the headaches finally subsided.
This incident had been deeply ingrained in the emperor’s heart. Seeing the scene again, his mind immediately drifted back to his teenage years.
His heart pounded, and his breathing became rapid.
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