Chapter 652: Strong Confidence
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“What happened?” Imperial Consort Min and Funing stood at a distance, afraid to come closer.
Mingzhu wanted to truthfully tell them that Jiang Shanshan was dead, but Yuwen Chu quickly called out, “Go back. It’s nothing serious. I just had a little mishap testing a new weapon.”
Imperial Consort Min, scared, asked, “Weren’t there rebels breaking in?”
“No,” Yuwen Chu assured firmly, pulling Mingzhu over. Patiently, he explained, “I have many guards watching this place. Nothing can get in. You can stay here safely.” He then looked at Funing, “Are you alright?”
Funing’s face was bruised and swollen, indicating she had suffered greatly. When Yuwen Chu asked her, she started crying, “They hit me! They said they would marry me off to a beggar!”
Yuwen Chu patted her shoulder, “You’re back now, and they are all dead. No one can bully you anymore.”
Funing glanced at Mingzhu, seemingly blaming her for not trying harder to save her. But seeing the bruises on Mingzhu’s neck and recalling what Imperial Consort Min had said, she stayed silent and instead asked, “Sister-in-law, are you alright? I heard Prime Minister Fu is not doing well. Mother and I wanted to visit him but were afraid to go to Changxin Palace.”
Yuwen Chu noticed Funing’s change in attitude and felt gratified. “It’s good you have that concern. Things are still chaotic. Stay here with Mother. I’ll take your sister-in-law back first. Both of you get some rest.” He then saluted Imperial Consort Min and left with Mingzhu.
Watching their backs, Funing whispered, “Brother is so biased. I returned, and he didn’t even come to see me. Instead, he runs after Sixth Sister-in-law. Mother, does he treat you like this?”
Imperial Consort Min frowned, “He knows you’re fine, so he didn’t come. What’s strange about that? Sixth Sister-in-law’s family is in trouble. It’s natural for him to care for her more. If you say such things, you’ll make your brother dislike you.”
Pouting, Funing said, “I was just saying. I won’t say it again.” She then teared up, looking at Imperial Consort Min, “Mother, you love Sixth Sister-in-law more than me now.”
“Nonsense. Go to sleep.” Imperial Consort Min felt a sense of helplessness. Naturally, she doted on her child the most, and it was understandable for Funing to have such thoughts. Yuwen Chu was right. She had indeed spoiled Funing before, which led to Funing’s stubborn nature, even though she had improved somewhat.
Funing looked up at the sky for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Mother, if Sixth Brother really… you know, does that mean you’ll become the Empress Dowager? Can I roam freely in the palace?”
Imperial Consort Min felt good hearing her talk like this. “Yes, but nothing is certain yet. Don’t talk nonsense. Be careful not to let others hear and mock us, causing trouble for your Sixth Brother.”
Funing nodded lightly. “Why keep those two in the Zhaoyang Palace? I really don’t understand Sixth Brother’s intentions.” Don’t give her a chance, or she’ll definitely torture Empress Dowager Min and Min Baoyun to near death. She couldn’t forget who had caused the injuries on her face. She was barely caught in the Zhaoyang Palace when Min Baoyun arrogantly entered with her wet nurse, saying she wanted revenge for what happened in the attic. It was really humiliating.
Imperial Consort Min was afraid Funing would cause trouble again and hurriedly dragged her back.
Meanwhile, Mingzhu followed Yuwen Chu as they stepped on the snow fragments, heading outside together. Both had a lot they wanted to say to each other but didn’t know where to start, so they remained silent. The difference was that Yuwen Chu, using his sleeve as a cover, tightly held onto Mingzhu’s hand.
His attitude gave Mingzhu much reassurance. Nearing the palace gates, she broke the silence first, “Whether you believe it or not, I am not aligned with Jiang Shanshan. I don’t know anything about other worlds or borrowing bodies. I am simply myself, born and raised here. Even if I happen to know some things by chance, I have always been me. This has never changed. Also, in front of you, I am not an old monster, and you are not a child. I am still less mature and knowledgeable than you, and I have always been trying my best to grow up.”
Although she had died and come back to life, she had returned to her past, to her childhood self. She had always been herself, so it wasn’t borrowing a body. As for being an old monster, Yuwen Chu was much older than her. Even though she had lived a few more years, she had lived in a muddled state, knowing nothing. So her words were entirely reasonable, heartfelt, and rooted in reality; not a single lie.
Yuwen Chu said, “I believe you.”
His strong confidence stemmed from his ability to read people well. He was certain he knew if Mingzhu was pretending. He believed she was the original Fu Mingzhu. He had watched her grow up, and she was entirely different from the precocious Jiang Shanshan. Her actions always matched her age and status, and she had been quite clueless before being trained by him. Without his guidance, she would still be hopelessly naive. However, she did owe him an explanation on how she “knew some things by chance.”
Did he believe her just like that? Mingzhu found it hard to believe. After dealing with Jiang Shanshan, she now realized how big a trap Jiang Shanshan had set for her. Mishandling it could have left her stuck in suspicion and estrangement, never finding happiness. Jiang Shanshan was truly a disaster.
Yuwen Chu was still waiting for Mingzhu to explain, but she fell silent. He frowned slightly and asked, “Do you believe her when she said I want your father dead?”
Mingzhu shook her head, “I don’t believe it. Even if you have such thoughts, the time is far from ripe. The country is not yet unified, and you have only just gained control of most of the capital’s military. You still need my father.”
Such a rational analysis. She was indeed no longer the Fu Mingzhu of the past. Yuwen Chu sighed and looked at her, “It’s strange. When Jiang Shanshan said that, my first reaction was not to confront her but to shut her up, to stop her from ruining your reputation and affecting Zhuang Zhuang’s future…”
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