Chapter Fifty-One: Returning to the Capital

Kyoto.

Half a year later, Mu Lian and the others returned to Kyoto. When they set off, the willows were swaying gently, but now snow was falling heavily. Meng Yuan wrapped her cloak tighter around herself and sighed, "Kyoto is so much better. Even the snow here looks exceptionally white."

Not long after the day they cured the soldiers of the poison, Mu Lian, Ye Yiqing, and the others received an imperial edict from the Empress, ordering them to return to the capital as soon as possible. A capable minister was also appointed to assist the city magistrate of Luocheng in managing the city's affairs. Liu Zhang, however, petitioned the Empress to remain at home to reflect on his actions due to doubts about the Luocheng canal transport accounts, and the Empress granted his request.

"It is said that the prince of the Western Frontier will send envoys to propose marriage after the New Year. The ministers in the court are divided on this matter, which is why His Majesty has summoned us back to discuss the marriage alliance..." Inside the carriage, Ye Yiqing analyzed earnestly, "Moreover, Liu Zhang, that old scoundrel, has deep roots. Although he has been weakened by the destruction of the armory, we still cannot touch him in the short term. The current stalemate will be disadvantageous for us if it drags on..."

Mu Lian listened quietly without replying. She was well aware of the implications, but it was a good thing that someone shared her thoughts. After all, the old villain Liu Zhang had been operating in Luocheng for many years; bringing him down overnight wouldn't be easy. Fortunately, Mu Lian had already gathered considerable evidence, so her trip to Luocheng wasn't entirely fruitless.

He lifted the carriage curtain and peeked out. A biting wind swept in through the gap, whipping up the harsh frost and snow of winter. Ye Yuqing shivered, pulling his fur coat tighter around himself. It was no wonder he was sensitive to the cold; Ye Yuqing was, after all, a delicate scholar, who always needed a hand warmer in autumn and winter. Now, the cold wind had made his nose turn red, and he sneezed several times, looking quite pitiful.

Mu Lian chuckled inwardly. Fortunately, the person opposite him couldn't see clearly through the silver mask. Lowering the carriage curtain and smoothing it out, Mu Lian then bowed respectfully, her voice as cold as ever: "Lord Ye, now that we've arrived in the capital, I anticipate no further assassination attempts. Given our difference in rank, it's inappropriate for us to ride in the same carriage. I'll take my leave now..."

Sigh, it feels like the time we spent traveling together was so short. Ye Yuqing felt like she had so much to say, but when she saw the woman's calm and indifferent eyes, she ultimately said nothing. She just sniffed and slowly nodded: "Thank you so much, Lord Mu, for protecting me all this way. Otherwise, I don't know how many times I would have lost my life in Luocheng. I am deeply grateful. Once you are settled, I will pay you a special visit." Then, before Mu Lian could respond, Ye Yuqing casually mentioned, "By the way, I've always been curious, Lord Mu's surname is Mu. Is it the same family as the Mu Sicheng who lives in Chang Le Fang?"

Isn't Mu Sicheng her imposter father? Mu Lian paused, looking at the man before her.

Through the faint light filtering through the gaps in the carriage curtain, the man's face was shrouded in shadow. His white fur coat, with a fine band of fur around his neck, made his complexion appear even paler. Having been reclining on the couch, his hair was slightly disheveled, with a few loose strands falling loose, adding to his air of untamed freedom. Yet, his eyes shone brightly, as if he were genuinely asking a question with a humble, almost shameless, attitude.

Mu Lian felt her heart skip a beat for no reason. She then turned away and replied calmly, "No, I am not from the capital." Without waiting for the man to ask further questions, Mu Lian cupped her hands in a respectful gesture and got out of the carriage.

Behind him, the man's clear eyes were full of laughter, tinged with a hint of cunning. Isn't that right? Why don't you try and see?

The Magistrate's Court.

"Squeak..." As soon as the gate of the Judicial Office was pushed open, a nimble figure pierced through the snow mist and rushed straight towards Mu Lian, moving so fast that it seemed to leave a trail of afterimages in the air.

With a sudden turn, the trailing tail of her black cloak swirled in a dashing arc amidst the swirling snowflakes. Looking back, Mu Lian's eyes were filled with smiles as she caught the little monkey running towards her with one hand.

"Squeak, hoo hoo..." The little monkey, wrapped in a thick cotton robe, was so excited after not seeing Mu Lian for a long time that it scratched its ears and cheeks and almost tore off the silver mask on Mu Lian's face with one paw.

"Hey, hey, you silly monkey, you can't do that..." Meng Luan, who had rushed out, was so anxious that she hadn't even put on her shoes properly. It seemed that this little guy would only listen to her when the adults weren't around.

Meng Yuan stepped forward and patted her twin sister, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, with a look of sympathy: "How come you still haven't tamed her after raising her for so long?" Meng Luan rolled her eyes, snorted slightly, and ignored Meng Yuan.

After chatting for a while, Meng Luan pulled the little monkey back onto her shoulder before saying to Mu Lian, "His Majesty has issued an imperial edict, ordering that Your Excellency need not immediately go to the palace to report, but to rest well first. Everything is going smoothly at the Judicial Office; the petty thieves who tried to break in at night were all apprehended by the guards. And then, I do have an important matter to report, concerning the young concubine's daughter..."

The young concubine's daughter? Wasn't she impersonated by the little monkey before? Logically speaking, after that previous "haunted" incident, no one should dare to go to that courtyard anymore.

“No rush…” Mu Lian raised her hand to stop Meng Luan from speaking, and looked up at the gray sky: “It’s windy here, let’s go back inside and talk slowly.”

“Yeah, you still can’t change your impatient nature…” Meng Yuan pouted and immediately started teasing her.

Meng Luan rolled her eyes again, ignoring her sister's desperate attempts to make conversation. In previous years, when they were younger, the two would fight whenever they met; this time, Meng Luan only wanted to be a quiet, mature, and beautiful woman.

Immersing herself entirely in the rose petal water, Mu Lian gazed at her reflection in the bronze mirror through the rising steam. It was a face as cool and beautiful as ever. Because she had just removed her silver mask, there were slight marks at the corners of her eyes, but these did not detract from her beauty; rather, they added a touch of sharpness. Her skin was even more fair, truly deserving of the description "skin like solidified cream."

Meng Luan's words echoed in her ears, and Mu Lian's brows furrowed slightly in surprise. It would be understandable if the Ye family sent someone to the Mu family to propose marriage, but what kind of marriage did the Prince of Ruyang propose? It was clearly a mismatch between the two families. Could it be that he was after her? If he really was after her, then she was afraid that she could no longer wear the disguise of a concubine's daughter.

Thinking of the innocent concubine's daughter who died unjustly that year, Mu Lian sighed softly. Although the girl was gone, she still didn't want this identity to completely disappear from the world; otherwise, she feared no one would remember that poor girl and her mother anymore.

So be it, I'll deal with whatever comes my way. Even if a marriage proposal is made, I have ways to prevent that fake father from agreeing.

Outside the window, pure white snowflakes continued to fall, as if using their flawless whiteness to cover up all the intrigue and shrewd calculations in the world.