Chapter 4

Feng Wentang's kindness to her didn't stop there.

After serving a few times in Mu Yulu's courtyard, Feng Wentang discovered the impoverished daily life of this legitimate daughter of the Mu family.

Although the third young lady, Mu Xingzi, was a concubine's daughter, her biological mother, Concubine Wang, was greatly favored by Mu Yugang. Although the Mu family had not yet reached the point of favoring concubines over wives, Concubine Wang was practically a mistress in the mansion, and her status was almost equal to that of the legitimate wife, Mu Zhaoshi.

Mu Yugang's affection extended to Wang Yiniang, whose status in the household was comparable to that of a legitimate wife, and naturally, Mu Xingzi, as her daughter, was also considered comparable to a legitimate daughter.

As the most favored young lady of the Mu family, she received treatment in the household that was completely different from that of a concubine's daughter.

As for the second young lady, Mu Wanyi, there's no need to mention her.

Mu Wanyi and Mu Yulu were both born to Mu Zhaoshi and were both legitimate daughters of the Mu family, but their status in the family was worlds apart.

Unlike Mu Yulu, Mu Wanyi was raised by Mu Zhaoshi from birth. Because she loved her daughter so much, Mu Zhaoshi didn't even hire a wet nurse and personally raised the child with great care and hardship.

Such affection is incomparable to that of Mu Yulu, who has never been raised by her parents since childhood.

As for why Mu Yulu was abandoned at her maternal grandparents' home when she was young and only brought to the capital from the countryside in recent years, Feng Wentang had no idea.

In short, of the three young ladies of the Mu family, the third young lady, Mu Xingzi, who was most favored by the master, lived like a legitimate daughter, while the second young lady, Mu Wanyi, who was most loved by the madam, was even more at ease.

The eldest daughter, Mu Yulu, who was of noble birth but in an awkward situation, was neither loved by her father nor her mother and lived like a little cabbage in the field.

Even in ordinary families, if the elders don't treat everyone equally, the child who isn't favored will inevitably suffer a lot of grievances, let alone in such a wealthy merchant family.

The household was filled with a diverse group of people, including dozens of maids and servants. The people in the household were used to currying favor with the powerful and stepping on the weak. Mu Yulu, this little cabbage that grew in the mud, was naturally someone anyone could trample on.

Not only did the worst batch of utensils in the mansion always go to Mu Yulu, but even the monthly allowance for her courtyard was halved by the accountant.

Naturally, the accountant dared to do this because Aunt Wang was backing him up. Whether Mu Yulu was genuinely oblivious or had long understood the implications, she never complained, even though her courtyard was always lacking in things.

Feng Wentang saw all of this.

Sometimes he would ask Xinyun in private, and after learning what Mu Yulu's courtyard lacked, he would use his own monthly salary to make arrangements for her.

Feng Wentang's actions deeply moved Xinyun. For a while, she would always try to persuade Mu Yulu, saying that the guard Feng treated the young lady very well. She would also often subtly ask Mu Yulu if it was possible for her to transfer her affections to Feng Wentang and shift her attention from Mu Qinhan to him.

At that time, Mu Yulu asked her how good Feng Wentang was to her.

Xin Yun hesitated for a moment, then answered with great certainty, "He is willing to spend money on Miss!"

A person who is willing to spend money on you may not be truly kind to you, but a person who is unwilling to spend money on you is definitely not truly kind to you.

Xinyun earnestly advised Mu Yulu: "Miss, the only person in the entire Mu family who is willing to spend money on you is Guardian Feng. He is so precious and rare."

Xin Yun had her own reasons. The person in front of her who was actually willing to spend money on her was much more real than the ethereal Mu Qinhan.

It was at that time that Mu Yulu learned of Feng Wentang's feelings.

She knew he liked her; a young man's feelings cannot be hidden.

But what good is knowing? In her past life, Mu Yulu didn't take Feng Wentang seriously at all. Back then, her heart and eyes were filled with the ethereal Mu Qinhan.

In addition, she was truly foolish in her past life, actually relying on her status as the eldest daughter of the Mu family to look down on Feng Wentang, who was just a mere guard.

She believed that with her noble status and outstanding appearance, she was destined to marry Mu Qinhan. If she couldn't, then all her talent, beauty, and even her soul would be ruined.

It wasn't until the moment she was strangled to death by a white silk ribbon given to her by Mu Qinhan that she suddenly realized that what was the eldest daughter of the Mu family, what was her status and position, were all illusory things.

The so-called status and position were never in her own hands, or rather, never truly belonged to her.

When she was still living in the Mu family, her parents did not show her any favor, so her status was practically nonexistent.

Later, after marrying into the royal family, Mu Qinhan despised her, and she was treated like trash.

How dare she look down on Feng Wentang, who is a guard?

At least they earn their living through their own abilities.

Feng Wentang's voice pulled Mu Yulu back to reality from her long memories.

"Miss? Miss, wake up! Why are you rolling your eyes?"

Mu Yulu suddenly woke up and found herself pulled ashore by Feng Wentang, where she was constantly spitting out water as he performed CPR.

She stared at Feng Wentang's face in a daze.

Was she just going through a revolving door?

I almost died again.

The family head, Mu Yugang, rushed over at that moment. As soon as he arrived, he saw Mu Yulu lying in Feng Wentang's arms, vomiting water in full view of everyone. Next to her was Mu Xingzi, who had just been pulled out by the servants and was disheveled. He almost fainted on the spot.

With a sharp crack, he slapped Mu Yulu across the face: "You unfilial daughter! You, you, you..."

After struggling for a while, he still couldn't come up with anything, so he could only quickly tell Feng Wentang to put Mu Yulu down, and then order the maids to carry the eldest and third young ladies back to their respective homes.

Aunt Wang arrived at the scene shortly after, and upon seeing Mu Xingzi, she screamed and gasped. She couldn't catch her breath and fainted on the spot.

Another period of chaos ensued.

While urging the maids to take the young ladies back quickly, Mu Yugang ordered the guards and servants in the mansion not to say a word about what happened today, or they would all be beaten to death.

Finally, he patted Aunt Wang on the back and comforted her.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Xing'er was wronged in this matter. I will definitely give you and your daughter an explanation."

Only then did this farce finally come to an end.

Mu Yugang's slap had indeed sobered Mu Yulu up. After returning to her own courtyard, she wrapped herself in a quilt and sat cross-legged on the bed, staring expressionlessly at her father who stood in front of the bed, demanding an explanation.

With a disdainful frown, Mu Yugang began to chant:

"What, you can't hang yourself, so you're planning to drag your sister down with you?"

"You were pulled out of the water by the guards in front of so many people, and your sister choked on water and was unconscious and disheveled in front of so many people. I want to ask you, what exactly are you up to?"

Mu Yulu opened her mouth to speak, but Mu Yugang didn't give her a chance and continued, "It's one thing for you to ruin your reputation and be unable to get married, I'll just consider it as raising you as a daughter for nothing, why do you have to ruin your sister's reputation as well?"

"Seeing that you can't get married yourself, you want to drag your sister down with you, so that she can't get married either and become a nun with you?"

The more they talked, the uglier it got, and Mu Yulu couldn't be bothered to listen anymore.

She forcefully interrupted Mu Yugang's conspiracy theory: "It wasn't me, it didn't happen. It was just an accident."

After saying that, she looked at her father with feigned sadness and asked, "In your eyes, is your daughter such a despicable person?"

Her father nodded without hesitation: "You really are that kind of person."

Mu Yulu fell silent.

Mu Yugang sneered: "To go to the temple fair, you've already banged your head against a wall three times, tried to hang yourself five times, and attempted suicide by drowning countless times. You're already an expert at suicide. Tell me, what else can't you do?"

"Just because you're not allowed to go to the temple fair, you've been crying, making a scene, threatening suicide, and practically tearing this whole place down. Today you've finally got your chance. Are you using your sister's life to blackmail your old man?"

Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain.

Both Mu Yulu and Mu Xingzi fell into the lake and choked on water, and Mu Yugang's suffering was no less than Mu Xingzi's. However, Mu Yugang questioned her without distinguishing right from wrong. A father's heart is already far away from the surrounding villages. What else can she say?

Mu Yulu twitched her lips, too lazy to refute.

She glanced at Xinyun, who was kneeling in the corner trembling as Mu Yugang had punished her, and after a moment of silence, she compromised and said, "Alright, I was wrong before, and I know I was wrong."

"Although today's events were an accident, they were ultimately caused by my daughter. Please punish her by confining her to her room to reflect on her mistakes. I will not leave the house, nor will I go to the temple fair. I will stay in my room copying the 'Admonitions for Women'."

Mu Yugang looked at Mu Yulu as if he had seen a ghost.

Doesn't he know what kind of person his daughter is? She'll stop at nothing to marry Mu Qinhan, even ruining her own reputation and disgracing her father to achieve her goal.

Why are you being so easy to talk to today?

Could it be that it got entangled with some kind of filth after drowning?

Seeing Mu Yugang's astonished expression, Mu Yulu smiled and said, "Father, do you think this punishment isn't enough? How about this, Father, take whatever you have in my yard and give it to Third Sister. Consider it my apology to Third Sister."

Mu Yugang's expression became even more interesting.

Good heavens, when did this silly daughter grow a brain and learn to use retreat as a tactic to advance?

Voluntarily staying home? Not going to temple fairs?

If he believed her lies, he wouldn't be called Mu Yugang.

Little did he know that just moments before, Mu Yulu's mind had already taken many unexpected turns, and she was busy making calculations.

Based on her past life experience, Mu Yulu knew that Mu Qinhan's recent schedule was as follows:

Mu Qinhan will be at the temple fair tonight. Two days later, he will be injured while hunting. The emperor wants him to go to the palace to recuperate, but he refuses. Instead, he chooses to stay at his father's villa with a beautiful view and stays there for a month.

To secure this high position, her father, Mu Yugang, went to great lengths, dressing his daughters up in their finest attire and sending them to the mountain villa like matchmaking trees in a temple dedicated to the Old Man Under the Moon.

They ostensibly wanted them to take care of the prince's health, but everyone knew what they were really up to—they just wanted to marry their daughter off to the imperial family.

If a businessperson has such a connection, it's like having a powerful backer, ensuring their safety and livelihood.

Moreover, the other party was a regent who was exceptionally talented and held real power.

That said, Mu Yulu was quite beautiful, and her father reluctantly included her in the army of those who seduced the prince.