After Liu reassured Mu Qingyang and promised to meet him there every day at the end of the Shen hour (3-5 PM), he left. Liu Yuyao stood there, gazing blankly at the hibiscus blossoms falling from the branches.
"Princess! Princess!" Cuizhu came looking for her. She had only realized she had lost Liu Shi when she walked deep into the flower bushes.
Liu was startled out of her daze when she heard Cuizhu's voice from behind her.
"Where have you been?" Liu glared at Cuizhu, who was rushing over.
"Princess, I deserve to die. I was so engrossed in looking at the flowers. Princess, are you alright?" Cuizhu said apologetically, bowing her head carefully.
"It's nothing, but Mu Qingyang just came by." Madam Liu knew that she couldn't do anything on her own and could only rely on the servants around her.
"Ah, Master Mu? Princess, how did he find his way here?" Cuizhu looked around quickly and asked.
"I don't know either. Cuizhu, no, he's a ticking time bomb here. We have to get rid of him. Otherwise, even I will be burned by him," said Madam Liu. When she felt her wealth and status were threatened, her former infatuation vanished without a trace.
"We need to go back and think of a solution. Let Xiao Jinzi think of it; he has the most ideas!" Cui Zhu said.
The mistress and servant walked back together through the sea of flowers. Liu was even more uneasy because of Mu Qingyang. She didn't know what to do to get rid of him. But she didn't consider that she herself had gone to the opera because she was upset about her pregnancy.
The women in the inner quarters of the house will forever waste all their youth in a cycle of gaining and losing, then chasing and losing again.
"This servant greets Your Highness!" Xiao Jinzi was summoned to the inner room by Cuizhu and greeted Liu Shi, who was sitting in a high-backed chair.
"Little Jinzi, you need to think of a way to get rid of the Mu family troupe. I feel like I can't eat or sleep properly as long as they don't leave," said Madam Liu.
"Your Highness, getting rid of the Mu family troupe isn't difficult. But how can Your Highness sever all ties with that Mu Sheng? If someone were to seize upon even the slightest hint of this, the consequences would be unimaginable," said Xiao Jinzi.
Liu nodded and said, "That's right! Do you have a way to drive them out first?"
Xiao Jinzi said, "Now the Mu family troupe is performing for masters who love to watch plays at Changyin Pavilion. They were sent here by the master. If they haven't done anything wrong, how can we make them leave? Unless we find something wrong with them."
Upon hearing this, Liu couldn't help but ask, "So, we can't get rid of them?"
Little Jin bowed and said, "Unless Your Highness is willing to harden your heart, this servant has a way!"
Madam Liu said sternly, "I am the prince's princess, how can I possibly associate with those actors outside? Tell me your reasons."
Xiao Jinzi quickly went up to Liu Shi and whispered something to her.
Cuizhu was standing on the other side of Liu, so she couldn't hear what he had just said to Liu.
"This...this method will work? After all, Changyin Pavilion isn't very close to Xinghua Spring Pavilion," Liu said.
"As long as someone sees him going in and out of the vicinity of Xinghua Spring Pavilion, that's enough. Besides, actors are all low-class people, so it's not surprising that they do such things. Once he's branded as a thief, the prince won't ask any more questions and will just throw him out," Xiao Jinzi said.
“But how do we get those things into his room?” Liu asked.
"That's not difficult. As long as you pretend to be friendly with him, saying that you left the package with him, he'll have no choice but to comply. Then, we can make a false accusation, saying that the things were stolen, and report it directly to the steward. After they find it, they can kick him out. I reckon they won't even report this to the master. They're just an opera troupe anyway; once they're kicked out, they can just bring in someone else," said Xiao Jinzi.
After a moment's thought, Liu said, "That's a good idea. Anyway, the master is so busy that we never see him. I doubt such a thing will be reported to him."
Xiao Jinzi said, "Master, you must make a decision soon and not hesitate any longer."
Cuizhu also said, "Yes, Master, this Young Master Mu is really a troublemaker. If you get involved with him in any way, I'm afraid it will ruin your future."
Liu gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, let's do it this way."
Meanwhile, Mu Qingyang never imagined that Yao'er, whom he longed for day and night, had become unrecognizable. Back in his room, he still imagined being able to live happily ever after with her again.
"Senior brother, where have you been?" Mu Qingyang's junior brother asked as soon as he opened the door and saw him.
"Going out for a walk. You went to Quyuan Fenghe again?" Mu Qingyang said with a mocking smile. That Princess Fucha has been frequently requesting his performances lately, and rumors have started circulating within the Mu family troupe that the princess has fallen for him.
"Not bad, Princess Fucha is really generous. She's given me something again." My junior brother is also handsome, but compared to Mu Qingyang, he's completely different. He's strong and powerful, with a robust physique; he's a martial arts performer.
"Don't accept these things from wealthy women easily, or people will gossip about you," Mu Qingyang said.
"Thank you for your advice, Senior Brother. But I heard that you eloped with a daughter of an official in the past?" the junior brother asked.
"That was a long time ago. She's married now, so let's not talk about it anymore," Mu Qingyang said, turning away to hide the surprise in his eyes.
"Oh. Where did that young lady marry?" My junior brother seemed quite interested in this.
"I don't know. Why are you asking these questions?" Mu Qingyang said.
"It's nothing, I just feel sorry for my senior brother," the junior brother quickly replied. Actually, every time he performed for the Fucha clan, they would ask him about Mu Qingyang. He knew Mu Qingyang had such a past, but he didn't know who the other person was.
“We’ve lost contact long ago. She’s married to someone else, and I’m already married,” Mu Qingyang sighed, as if lamenting an irretrievable part of his youth.
"Then I won't disturb your rest, senior brother." Seeing that he couldn't get any information, the junior brother had no choice but to leave.
From then on, Mu Qingyang went out every day at Shenshi (3-5 PM). At first, no one noticed, but later people began to notice his routine. Meanwhile, Liu Shi, fearing that Mu Qingyang might do something rash, had no choice but to keep his appointment on time every day.
On this day, when Liu went to see Mu Qingyang following the method taught by Xiao Jinzi, she specially brought a small, valuable bundle with her.
"Qingyang, this bundle contains some of my valuables and jewelry. Even if I'm leaving, I need to take some with me, otherwise how will I survive? I'll leave it with you for now," Liu said, following her prepared explanation.
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