It didn’t take long for the small table to be prepared. Concubine Ming sat down heavily, struggling to control her anger, knowing that she couldn’t do anything to the woman named Yueqian.
"So, what brings you to see me?" Yueqian asked, noticing that Concubine Ming was about to drink the special ginger tea. This prompted the other woman to set the teacup down and get to the point, as she didn’t want to stay in her enemy’s manor any longer than necessary. Sitting at the small table only intensified her rage.
"I heard from the villagers that it seems you accidentally injured them. Even if it was unintentional, you still need to help them. Some people only have one son, and now he can’t walk anymore. Isn’t that like a living death for them?"
Concubine Ming spoke, her demeanor seeming as if she pitied the villagers, but her real intention was to emphasize Yueqian’s fault.
"Sigh, I am aware of that," Yueqian sighed, taking another sip of her tea.
"You knew about this yet didn’t offer any help? Do you have a reason for this? Letting the villagers suffer like that?"
"In this matter, I am truly at a loss. I can only trust the authorities."
"What do you mean? Are you saying you’ll find the culprit and let them compensate the villagers? And in the meantime...?"
"What do you mean in the meantime? I did nothing wrong. Should I spend my own money to help the villagers when I am also in a difficult situation?"
Yueqian’s words were blunt, almost heartless, making it seem like she lacked compassion to help people. Upon hearing these unsympathetic remarks, Concubine Ming nearly laughed out loud, feeling that Furen Mu had truly harmed herself with such a response.
"Even if you’re struggling, you’re still a noble. Your husband still receives a government salary, unlike those starving villagers," Concubine Ming began to lecture Yueqian, but the beautiful woman waved her hand, cutting her off before the other party could say more.
"Concubine Ming, are you trying to ruin my reputation with such remarks? Why should I help in this matter? Do you think it’s your place to lecture me? I almost lost my child because of those villains. Why don’t you wait for them to be caught first? Isn’t it unreasonable to expect me to act as if I’m at fault when I’m not?" Yueqian waved her hand dismissively, indicating she didn’t want to continue the conversation. This made Concubine Ming, who was about to take another sip of tea, put her cup down again.
"I’m not saying whether you’re at fault or not. I’m merely asking you to consider the villagers’ feelings and their hardships."
"Oh, so you’re not at fault either. Why don’t you consider helping the villagers then?" Yueqian said these words. Concubine Ming sighed and slowly shook her head.
"I can only do so much. Since you refuse to help, I will do it myself," Concubine Ming said, standing up and preparing to leave. Just as she was about to turn away, she heard Yueqian’s icy voice that rang out.
"Concubine Ming, I am still an honored furen. Are you planning to leave without a proper farewell? You were once an eldest young miss yourself. Just because you’re now a concubine, does that mean you’ve forgotten to use all the etiquette you learned?" Yueqian’s words made Concubine Ming freeze in her tracks. To avoid any repercussions from the other party later, Concubine Ming turned back, respectfully bowed, and then left.
Yueqian slapped her knee in satisfaction. Seeing the expression of the vicious woman who dared to attack her friend like that, it was like her anger had been released.
"Fan Yu, do you know the quickest way to spread the news that the Minister’s concubine came to my residence to lecture me so that I would sympathize with the villagers seeking help?" Yueqian asked, looking at the young maid who had been standing quietly.
Fan Yu hesitated for a moment, as if unsure whether to answer, but finally spoke.
"The fastest way would be through the housewives’ gossip circles. As long as they meet during the morning shopping to prepare food, that’s where news spreads the quickest, Miss." Fan Yu said earnestly. Yueqian nodded in agreement but gave no further orders.
This method was indeed effective for common folk, and Fan Yu was right. However, Yueqian had more reliable people to help. Regardless, her people could handle it more discreetly. Once her servants were ready, she would let them manage the spread of the news.
"Miss, if what you said to Concubine Ming reaches the Minister’s ears, won’t it be problematic?" Wan Gui still didn’t quite understand. Although she knew how to conduct herself, she couldn’t keep up with all of Yueqian’s plans. Naturally, Yueqian didn’t mind explaining things to them.
Just a day later, Concubine Ming was slapped hard by the Minister, causing some of her teeth to be knocked out. This showed how furious the Minister was. He also had to support Furen Mu to avoid any suspicion that he was involved in pressuring her to take responsibility for something she didn’t do.
Worse yet, when the investigation revealed who was behind the attack, they might be implicated!
"Foolish, so foolish!! Don’t you understand what this is about? Don’t you realize that an honored furen has the same status as royalty? Even some royal family members must show her respect. And what is this? She’s been targeted for assassination! How is this different from an assassination attempt on royalty?!!"
"Don’t you know what happens to those responsible? Entire families can be wiped out because of this. And you! You’ve dragged yourself into this mess and risked bringing chaos to my Minister’s manor!"
"Those ignorant villagers might not matter, but if the Emperor becomes more displeased, he could order their execution. And you, siding with those clueless villagers and pressuring Furen Mu, do you not care about preserving your own life?"
The old man spoke angrily, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to curse more. However, he knew that further words would be useless.
The attempted assassination on Furen Mu had been proven true, and the Emperor was furious. The incident occurred in the capital, right after he had appointed her. Wasn’t this considered a treasonous act that wanted to slap His Majesty in the face? The fact that the villagers were demanding compensation from Furen Mu, who did nothing, only added to her favor in the Emperor’s eyes. He even mentioned personally punishing the ignorant villagers once the investigation was complete.
Beating his foolish concubine was pointless now. The Minister had to step in. Having previously been a mere spectator, he now had to help as much as possible, showing that he too could not tolerate such disrespect.
Even if he did his utmost, there was no guarantee that the Emperor wouldn’t suspect him. If punishment came, he would deal with her harshly then.
"Dear, I just wanted to become important in your eyes. I thought that if I could win the villagers’ favor, you would see my worth and not let me be bullied anymore. But why? Why can’t you see my intentions?" Concubine Ming complained, her pretty face now bearing a red handprint, making her look somewhat pitiable.
The Minister said nothing, nor did he scold her further. He was, after all, a man, and when a beautiful woman pleaded with him, how could he not be soft-hearted? Besides, the incident had already happened, and he had already struck her. So, he quickly turned away, leaving Concubine Ming to hug herself and cry.
The chaos didn’t last long. With the Minister’s assistance and the Emperor’s orders, the culprit was soon revealed. It turned out that one of the young misses from a mid-sized family was envious of Yueqian’s success and harbored feelings for Mu Heng. He had helped her a few months ago, preventing a high-ranking official from bullying her. That act of kindness unknowingly brought danger to his own wife.
Mu Heng was furious when he learned of this. Why should he help another woman? If it weren’t for the official duties, why would he intervene? Back then, many officials were present, but because he was skilled in combat, he stepped in to handle the situation without any attachment. However, Yueqian didn’t want him to hold a grudge. Perhaps, hearing this, she could empathize with the other woman’s feelings.
Why did she think she was better than others? Initially, she intended to use Mu Heng as a shield. It wasn’t until she truly fell in love with him that she became protective. Previously, she claimed that as long as he didn’t touch her, she would be willing to divorce him when they were older and lived separately so he could marry someone else. But now that she loved him, her thoughts had changed completely.
When a woman finds safety and love in her life, she doesn’t want to lose it. Unfortunately, the other woman had to be punished for her actions, and the real mastermind behind the incident didn’t suffer much.
As Yueqian had anticipated, the villagers who had dared to insult her were arrested by the Emperor’s soldiers. Although they weren’t severely punished, they were imprisoned for several days. This incident spread, deterring others from targeting the Mu manor again. After all, they now had a First Rank Honored Furen, akin to royalty, living there.
Yueqian used this opportunity to spread the news to enhance her reputation, saying that the reason she didn’t come out at first was because she wanted to pretend not to hear it, because if she did, she couldn’t let those people scold her, in order to maintain the honor of the royal decree, but if she pretended not to hear it, the villagers wouldn’t be punished.
Moreover, the punishment for the perpetrator who attempted to assassinate her was severe. It was inevitable that they would have to fight to secure compensation for the villagers. However, if she had helped the villagers beforehand, the nature of the case would have changed, and the villagers would receive less compensation.
Whether this was the truth or not didn’t matter. The villagers talked among themselves, and no one could verify the details. Those who knew the truth had no intention of speaking out. The power of public opinion was much stronger. Consequently, it was not surprising that many households openly expressed their admiration for Furen Mu. They already knew she had helped the Bai Region, and now, hearing of her compassionate heart, their admiration only grew.
Time passed, and the day of the banquet arrived. Yueqian had prepared tea sets and food sets as gifts for the guests. This was likely the first time that the host of a banquet also provided gifts to the attendees.
In the morning, a holy monk arrived to conduct the ceremony himself. Mu Heng had taken leave from his official duties to prepare for the reception. The monk spent some time with Mu Heng, but he still saw the two divergent paths for father and child, which worried him greatly. Initially, he had thought that the danger for Furen Mu had passed, but it seemed that was not the case.
The monk did not speak with Yueqian as before, but the young woman wasn’t offended. She understood that women and monks should not be too familiar with each other. However, she had offered many pastries and foods to the monk, all of which he greatly enjoyed. Ordinarily, a monk shouldn’t show a preference for food due to the potential for greed, but since these pastries were strange and he had never seen them before, it was natural that he would like them after tasting them.
The monk seemed to favor the peppermint tea the most. Yueqian, therefore, offered him two large containers, enough to last a year. She also gave him two containers of rose tea, rich in minerals, good for relieving constipation, and promoting blood circulation. This was her way of making merit and seeking blessings for her child, especially after hearing that the monk had agreed to become the child’s master.
"Alright, the ceremony is concluded. I will take my leave now. Take care of yourself and avoid putting yourself in danger again," the monk said before departing, reminding Yueqian once more to be cautious.
After receiving frequent warnings, Yueqian was slightly puzzled. She couldn’t understand why the monk was showing such concern. However, as the monk left the manor, the paper talisman he had blessed floated up into the sky, emitting a mysterious golden radiance. The golden light amazed the onlookers, including Yueqian, who was astonished by the monk’s powers.
In reality, the blessing was a ritual to expel evil spirits from the residence. This had once been an imperial palace, and despite its name as the Cold Jade Palace, many had died there. The monk’s actions had now driven away all malevolent spirits, ensuring that the child in Yueqian’s womb would not be disturbed and would grow up well.
For this matter, Yueqian could only thank the monk silently. Whoever he was, his kindness towards them made him a benefactor in her eyes.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter