Chapter 71
Despite the arguments and quarrels, we still have to eat.
The grand drama at the Mu residence finally came to an end at dinner time.
Mu Yulu was injured on her face again this time. After returning to the courtyard, she locked herself in and refused to see anyone who knocked on the door.
Mu Yugang hired two doctors for her and ordered people to bring food to her room. He was slightly relieved to see that she had eaten all the food.
He did these things not because he cared about her that much, but mainly because she was getting married in a few days. If someone were to die at this time, or if she were to be disfigured or ruined, Prince Mu would definitely target him first.
Ever since Mu Yulu caused a scene in the manor last time, and Prince Mu rushed over to support her, he has been having the hallucination of a cool sensation on his neck from time to time. He even suddenly remembers the way Prince Mu looked at him when he is sleeping at night, and then he is so frightened that he immediately raises his hand to touch his neck to see if it is still there.
The last time Mu Qinhan really scared him, leaving him with a huge psychological shadow. If it weren't for that, he would have hung Mu Yulu up and beaten her for being so outrageous today.
If it weren't for the fact that she was about to marry the most powerful and influential person in the entire capital, would he tolerate her causing such a ruckus in the Mu residence? This girl is too short-sighted; she can't even imagine this. Does she really think that a father would be intimidated by his daughter?
So, it's said that women are all talk and no action; they can't see things clearly, and their only use is to have children after marriage.
Thinking of this, Mu Yugang turned his gaze to Mu Zhaoshi and her daughter Mu Wanyi. After pondering for a moment, he asked the mother and daughter to come to his study after dinner.
Mu Yulu's marriage has been finalized; now it's time to arrange Mu Wanyi's marriage.
As night fell, the lanterns in the Mu residence gradually lit up, and Mu Yugang's study was brightly lit with candlelight, where another grand drama was about to unfold.
After Mu Yulu's outburst during the day, Mu Yugang's patience had been completely exhausted. When he heard that Mu Wanyi was against the marriage he had arranged and refused to marry him, he became completely enraged.
He shoved the cups, dishes, and candlesticks off the table, his voice booming: "None of you want to get married? What, do you really want to go up the mountain and become nuns? What have I been supporting you for?"
Mu Wanyi shrank back behind Mu Zhaoshi in fright. Although Mu Yugang’s furious appearance frightened her, today’s discussion was about her life’s most important matter, and she did not intend to back down.
So she mustered her courage and said, "I didn't say I wouldn't marry. I just don't want to marry the Third Prince."
Mu Yugang spun around in anger: "What's wrong with the Third Prince? He's a prince! Is marrying him a disservice to you?"
Mu Wanyi glanced at her mother, sobbing. Mu Zhaoshi had warned her before that she must never tell her father that she already had someone she loved. If she dared to say that, Mu Yugang would drag her out and beat her to death. So she could only grit her teeth and say, "I am the legitimate daughter of the Mu family. At least my sister can marry a prince and become his principal wife. How come I can only be someone's concubine?"
Looking at her daughter, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, Mu Zhao felt as if her heart was bleeding.
Ignoring the rules she usually followed, she disobeyed her husband for the first time: "My lord, you can't be biased! They are both legitimate daughters. Xiao Lu married in style and became the Princess of Dingyuan, so why should Wan Yi only be the Third Prince's concubine? This is not fair!"
"My God, what do you mean she can only be the Third Prince's concubine?" Mu Yugang was shocked by their words and almost laughed in anger: "Do you know how many high-ranking officials and imperial relatives are scrambling to marry their daughters to the Third Prince as his concubine?"
He was speechless for a moment, slapping his thigh and staring at them for a long time before continuing, "Do you think the title of concubine is something worthless? I almost spent half of my family fortune to persuade the Third Prince, just to get you the title of concubine, and you're still not satisfied? What, do you want to be a prince's wife?"
He lowered his voice and said, "Use your brains and think about it. The emperor is seriously ill and hasn't shown his face for a long time. The third prince is his only adult prince. Don't be fooled by the fact that he's being suppressed by Prince Mu now. What will happen after the emperor passes away? Do you think the prince can take the throne? If that's the case, then he's plotting to usurp the throne, and everyone in the world should kill him!"
“I ask you, besides Prince Mu, who else is likely to ascend the throne? Isn’t it obvious? You are a concubine now, but once the Third Prince ascends the throne, you will become a Noble Consort. Do you understand this now?”
Finally, he flicked his sleeve and said, "So you women are just short-sighted, your vision is only as small as a sesame seed!"
Despite all that he had said, Mu Wanyi still only sobbed, "Isn't the Princess Consort of Dingyuan someone that many people would kill for? Why can my sister marry into the royal family and become the principal wife so easily?"
Mu Yugang knew that all his words had been in vain, and he felt a tightness in his chest, almost spitting out blood: "Why? Why? Why? There are no such things as 'why's'. It's just because Prince Mu likes her, isn't that enough?"
He rushed over, trying to pull Mu Wanyi out from behind Mu Zhaoshi, but Mu Zhaoshi blocked him firmly. He was so angry that he cursed, "You and your sister were born of the same mother, so how come she can win the prince's favor but you can't? What else can you do all day long besides causing trouble for me in the mansion?"
"Do you know what a marriage bestowed by the Emperor means? It wasn't Prince Mu who came to us to propose; it was a marriage bestowed by the Emperor! If the Prince hadn't gone to the Emperor to ask for his permission, would he have granted the marriage? What does this mean? It means that the Prince is willing to let Xiao Lu be his principal wife. How could I possibly control that?"
He genuinely felt wronged: "From the very beginning, I only wanted her to be the prince's concubine. I never even thought she could become the principal wife. She became the princess because she earned it herself. What are you all so envious of? If you're really so dissatisfied, why don't you go and win over the third prince and make him give you the position of princess consort!"
The more Mu Wanyi listened, the more bitter she felt, and she finally burst out cursing, "Is she capable? She's shameless!"
Knowing she wouldn't marry the man she wanted, and hearing her father compare her to Mu Yulu, she was filled with grief and indignation, blurting out whatever came to mind: "Anyway, I can't be like her, so shameless, throwing herself at every man she sees. With her worthless looks, how could any man not like her?"
Mu Yugang was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, while Mu Zhaoshi hurriedly covered Mu Wanyi's mouth, causing chaos and commotion once again.
Hearing the commotion coming from inside the study, Feng Wentang, who was waiting outside, knew that they wouldn't be quiet for a while, so he quietly left the study and headed towards Mu Yulu's courtyard.
The night wasn't too late, but all the lamps in Mu Yulu's courtyard had been extinguished, leaving only a single lamp flickering in the window.
He dared not go in, nor knock on the door, but stood quietly at the entrance of the courtyard, gazing at the faint light from the window.
It wasn't until Xinyun carried Mu Yulu's blood-stained clothes out the door that she noticed Feng Wentang standing silently outside the courtyard.
She exchanged a glance with Feng Wentang, and before he could speak, she turned away as if trying to go back into the house.
Feng Wentang quickly called out to her, "Xinyun, wait a moment!"
Xin Yun stopped and turned to look at him, her tone filled with angry aloofness: "What instructions does Guardian Feng have?"
Feng Wentang knew she was angry, so she didn't say much, but simply asked, "How are your injuries, Miss?"
Xin Yun maintained her distance from him throughout, standing still and saying loudly, "Thank you for your concern, Guard Feng, but Miss's injury has nothing to do with you."
Feng Wentang silently shut his mouth.
Just then, the door opened, and Mu Yulu, who had changed into a thin, plain dress, came out.
Her injuries had all been treated, but her once fair cheeks were now swollen and red, and her eyes still held a misty moisture, reflecting the dim light, making her appear as if she were floating on clouds.
It's right in front of me, yet so far away.
Feng Wentang stared at her intently, feeling his heart skip a beat for a moment.
Mu Yulu walked slowly towards him, her gaze calm, unlike Xin Yun's resentment. She stopped in front of him, smiled at him, and said casually, "I'm fine, just minor injuries, I'll be fine in three to five days."
Feng Wentang hesitated, wanting to speak, but he really didn't know what to say to her. Should he tell her that he had always wanted to take her away? Or should he tell her his true identity and explain that he had his reasons?
Faced with her so badly injured, he couldn't utter a single word in his defense.
The two remained silent. Feng Wentang had a lot to say but didn't know how to express it. In the end, Mu Yulu spoke first: "I know what you want to say. I don't blame you."
"I know that if you were just Guardian Feng, you would have done everything in your power to save me. But being a guard in the Mu family is just a cover for you to hide your true identity, isn't it?"
“You have another identity. You don’t need to tell me what the responsibilities of that identity are. I know you can’t reveal it. You just made a choice between me and it. You gave up me and chose it, but that’s not wrong, so I won’t blame you.”
The calmness in her tone made Feng Wentang understand that she truly never blamed him.
After she finished speaking, she turned around and gestured to Xinyun, asking her to take out the silver she had prepared.
When he saw her hand him the heavy bag of silver, Feng Wentang's heart clenched painfully. He didn't take the bag, but instead looked up at Mu Yulu: "What's the meaning of this silver? Are you trying to completely sever ties with me?"
Mu Yulu shook her head. "This is something I had prepared long ago. I originally intended to give it to you when I left the capital. Thank you for believing in me when I was at my lowest point and for lending me money to purchase those property deeds."
She forcefully stuffed the bag of silver into Feng Wentang's hand, saying, "There are some silver notes in here, which is repayment of the principal you borrowed from me. The rest of the silver is the dividend I promised you. You should accept it, so that I don't marry into the royal family with regrets."
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