After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 9

“Hey, Ning Bumo!” Mu Wan called out to the man who was dragging him along, his head bowed as they left.

They had already boarded the carriage back to the estate, and they could finally speak freely. Mu Wan shook his hand and said, “You are hurting me.”

In truth, it was not painful, but the man before him had been gripping his hand so tightly that his emotions seemed equally constrained. Upon hearing Mu Wan, Ning Bumo finally snapped out of his trance and let go, looking at the red marks on Mu Wan’s skin with chagrin. “I apologize. I lost control.”

There was medicine stored in a hidden compartment of the carriage. Busy trying to remedy the situation and having forgotten Mu Wan’s miraculous resilience, Ning Bumo reached for it to treat the wound.

“It is fine, no need,” Mu Wan stopped him, observing his eyes which finally revealed his deep sorrow, and asked, “Is your relationship with your mother not very good?”

Their interaction today had been devoid of any maternal warmth, appearing extremely stiff instead; yet, at this moment, Ning Bumo was truly and visibly saddened.

Ning Bumo did not answer directly. He stuffed the medicine bottle back into the compartment, rested his head on his arm, and gazed at the patterns on the ceiling of the carriage. “Do you know who chose my name?”

“The Empress Dowager?”

Ning Bumo nodded.

“The year I was born was a winter even colder than this one. At that time, the Great Yong had not yet entered a state of long-term stability after a period of rest. Enemies frequently invaded the borders, and skirmishes were common.”

That was the year Ning Bumo was born; the Hu people launched a massive invasion, leaving trails of bones wherever they went.

Whether to seek peace or to wage war had been the main topic of debate in the imperial court at the time.

“My grandfather came from a family of generals. He believed that blindly compromising with them would only make them more unscrupulous. He argued that if we seized the right opportunity to repel them once, we could shatter their arrogance and force them to retreat.”

“However, his opinion was never adopted.”

Moreover, because of his stance, he was attacked and suppressed by the pro-peace faction. Some had tried to persuade Old General Mao to back down, but he refused. Guided by those with ulterior motives, public opinion regarding the Mao family turned very sour.

Mao Xinyun, who was the Crown Princess at the time, had supported her father.

“Better to die crying out than to live in silent submission.”

Ning Bumo’s name was derived from this sentiment.

However, their influence was too weak at the time, and the court ultimately chose to seek peace.

From then on, the invasions by the Hu people became increasingly frequent.

It was not until Ning Bumo was sixteen that he requested to lead the army. With the permission of Emperor Wen, he recruited the Wolf Cavalry, defeated the enemy, and drove them back eight hundred li. He became famous after that single battle.

“Actually, it is not fair to say that the people advocating for peace were entirely wrong,” Ning Bumo said, having truly experienced the battlefield and realized how difficult many things were. “During my father’s reign, he reduced taxes and encouraged farming. As the people grew wealthier and the national treasury became full, it laid the foundation for the victory in that battle.”

It was that very battle that secured peace for the Great Yong for several years.

Until recent years.

The throne had changed hands twice, and power shifted frequently. Ning Bumo, the Prince of Jing, who had once been highly favored and held great military power, became a thorn in the side of certain people.

The Tieshan tribe’s invasion this time was aimed precisely at this, and they had indeed succeeded.

“Logically speaking, you should not have been ambushed so easily,” Mu Wan said, puzzled. “Did someone interfere?”

Ning Bumo shook his head. “Without an investigation, it is too early to jump to conclusions.”

What he could not fathom was why his mother, who came from a military family and had once been so firm, chose silence when faced with a battle that she knew had been compromised. How could the countless soldiers buried in the green mountains rest in peace?

“So you are saddened by her change, or is it that you feel she did not stand by your side?”

“Neither,” Ning Bumo shook his head. “I know she needs to sacrifice things to stabilize her power. If it were just that, it would be nothing.”

Power inevitably alienates people; pursuing it is not a shameful thing in itself.

The righteous can use it to bring blessings to many, while the wicked use it to satisfy their own greed.

“Before becoming the son of the Empress Dowager, I was the son of the Emperor and the younger brother of the Emperor. Being the one abandoned in a choice is a common occurrence. Even I have been influenced by it, albeit subtly. It is just…”

After a long silence, Ning Bumo smiled bitterly. “I do not want to lose my original heart because of this, or forget my original purpose.”

He could accept his mother becoming cold as a ruler, but he could not accept her silence when the lives of countless soldiers were at stake.

That was his bottom line.

“I apologize for saying so many meaningless things to you.” Ning Bumo, having regained his composure, felt a bit helpless. He did not know why he had felt so relaxed in front of Mu Wan, to the point of saying things he would not discuss with anyone else.

Thinking about it carefully, it must be because Mu Wan was so extraordinary. The things that the worldly masses chased after were perhaps nothing but illusions to him, which allowed him to speak his mind.

That was what he thought, but Mu Wan did not respond, which made Ning Bumo nervous. Surely he was not impatient after all he had said?

He turned his head to look, only to find that Mu Wan was watching him back. He was resting his chin on his hands, which were propped up on the table, his gaze inquisitive and sincere. If anyone else had been looked at this way, they might have easily seen a hint of a youth’s shy affection.

Fortunately, Ning Bumo already knew the true nature hidden beneath Mu Wan’s beautiful exterior, so he was not swayed.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking that saving you was indeed a good decision,” Mu Wan curved his eyes and smiled.

How could this person be a villain?

The reason he had helped Ning Bumo in the first place, besides the fact that they were to be husbands and their fates were somewhat intertwined, was that he did not see any karmic retribution on Ning Bumo. He even retained a spark of an untainted, childlike heart.

Mu Wan wanted to save such a person, so he did. Now, it seemed the result was indeed good.

He said it lightly, but the words sent ripples through Ning Bumo’s heart. The man, who had just thought he would not be affected, lost his composure instantly. He even knocked over the teacup on the table; it rolled twice and tipped over.

Ning Bumo hurriedly grabbed a cloth and scrubbed at the water stain on the table, his head bowed, studying the patterns as if they contained some profound secret.

After a long while, he finally looked up, pretending to be nonchalant. “It is good that you know. In any case, this Prince will try his best to ensure you do not suffer any losses.”

Well, he was clearly flustered, noting that the man was even using formal self-references he usually avoided.

The corners of Mu Wan’s lips could not help but curl into a smile.

For some time after that, Ning Bumo waited at home for the verdict on the soldiers of Lingzhou. Inside the walls of the deep palace, however, there was no peace.

“You are saying that the little bird in the Empress Dowager’s palace has been calling the Prince Consort an immortal ever since they met?” The National Preceptor, Chai Yi, set down his talisman and handed it to the Emperor. Even upon hearing such a bizarre event, his tone remained calm and measured.

The Emperor sitting opposite him already possessed the demeanor of a youth. His face inherited the handsomeness of the Great Yong royal family; although not yet fully mature, his actions were steady and prudent. Only the occasional impatience he could not hide revealed the callowness beneath his disguise.

“That is correct. Does the Preceptor wish to meet my new aunt?” Ning Yu frowned in confusion. “You know Asu is very spiritual; it is not like an ordinary bird. For it to call out like that, could it be that the Prince Consort truly possesses something special?”

“Your Majesty is overthinking it.” Chai Yi scoffed. “Did I not calculate for you back then? The Prince Consort is born simple-minded and weak; how could there be any talk of him being an immortal?”

Although he spoke this way, Chai Yi thought back to the Mu Wan in his memory. When he pictured a face that was beautiful but vacant and dull, he shook his head.

“Or does Your Majesty not trust my judgment?” Chai Yi asked, his tone resolute. “Furthermore, if he were truly an immortal, I would be the first to bow down and kneel to welcome him without needing anyone else to tell me.”